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Knee Osteoarthritis (Gonarthrosis) — Definition & Treatment

Interventional Radiology · Cochin Hospital AP-HP · Paris

️ ri.cch@aphp.fr +33 1 58 41 46 12
IR Home›Knee Osteoarthritis (Gonarthrosis) — Definition & Treatment
📖 Patient information · Orthopaedic

Knee Osteoarthritis — Definition, Grading & Treatment Options

Gonarthrosis · Kellgren-Lawrence grades · Synovitis · Genicular embolization · TKR alternative · Paris

Key Facts at a Glance

  • Affects 10–15% of adults over 60
  • 70–80% pain improvement without surgery

What is knee osteoarthritis?

Knee osteoarthritis (gonarthrosis) is a degenerative joint disease characterised by progressive cartilage loss, subchondral bone remodelling, osteophyte formation, and synovial inflammation. It is the most common form of arthritis, affecting 10–15% of adults over 60.

Chronic pain in osteoarthritis is driven not only by structural damage, but by pathological synovial neovascularisation — a key target of genicular artery embolization at Cochin AP-HP.

Radiological grading

📊 Kellgren-Lawrence grade I–II

Minimal joint space narrowing, small osteophytes. Conservative treatment: physiotherapy, intra-articular injections, weight loss. Embolization can be considered for pain refractory to injections.

📊 Kellgren-Lawrence grade II–III

Moderate narrowing, clear osteophytes, sclerosis. Main target for genicular artery embolization. 70–80% pain improvement without surgery.

📊 Kellgren-Lawrence grade III–IV

Severe narrowing or bone-on-bone. TKR (total knee replacement) is the surgical gold standard. Embolization may delay surgery or treat residual pain after TKR.

🩻 MRI assessment

Cartilage mapping, synovitis grade, meniscal pathology, subchondral oedema. Useful for treatment planning, especially in younger patients.

Related pages

🇫🇷 French version: gonarthrose-definition.html

Why this page is trustworthy

Written by the Interventional Radiology team at Cochin Hospital AP-HP, Université Paris Cité. Medically reviewed by an interventional radiologist of the department. Last updated: August 2026.

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