PROF. DR. SAMMY HANNAMD · FACS · FRCS (TR&ORTH) · CCT (TR&ORTH)
KNEE PAIN & CONDITIONS · ABU DHABI
Prof. Dr. Sammy Hanna assesses gradual knee pain, knee arthritis, meniscus and cartilage problems, and pain around the kneecap in Abu Dhabi. The starting point is how the problem began, how the knee behaves and what it is preventing you from doing. Knee pain treatment in Abu Dhabi begins with an accurate diagnosis at Healthpoint Hospital.
Symptoms provide clues. Examination and selective imaging establish what those clues mean for you.
A NAVIGATOR, NOT A DIAGNOSIS
Choose the description closest to your experience. The result points to useful information; it cannot identify the cause of an individual symptom.
Patterns often overlap. A specialist assessment brings the history, examination and appropriate imaging together.
This pattern may be associated with knee arthritis, joint irritation or another load-related problem. The arthritis route explains how symptoms, function and weight-bearing X-rays are considered together.
Explore knee arthritis → Educational navigation only. Symptoms alone cannot confirm a diagnosis.FOUR CLINICAL ROUTES
These routes organise the next layer of information. They are not boxes a patient must fit into: symptoms can overlap, and more than one structure or process may contribute to the same problem.
Knee arthritis often develops gradually, with pain, stiffness or swelling affecting walking, stairs and everyday activity. The severity of symptoms and the impact on function matter as much as the wording of an X-ray report.
Assessment considers the history, alignment, movement and weight-bearing imaging when useful. Not every arthritic knee needs replacement; treatment should match the individual problem and stage.
Meniscus problems may follow a distinct twist or develop alongside age-related change. Joint-line pain, swelling, catching or locking can be relevant clues, but none confirms a tear on its own.
The examination asks whether the meniscus finding explains the current problem and whether arthritis, cartilage or ligament injury is also present. An MRI tear does not automatically mean surgery.
Articular cartilage is the smooth surface covering the ends of the bones; it is different from the meniscus. Damage may be focal after an injury or part of wider wear within the joint.
The significance depends on the size and location of the problem, symptoms, age, activity and any associated meniscus, ligament or alignment issue. Treatment is selected around that complete picture.
Pain around or behind the kneecap is often noticed on stairs, squats, kneeling or after sitting with the knee bent. It can relate to loading, movement, soft tissues, cartilage or patellofemoral arthritis.
Assessment looks beyond the painful point to strength, alignment and movement through the hip, knee and foot. That helps separate a useful rehabilitation target from a structural problem.
THE CLINICAL QUESTION SET
A scan can describe structure. A useful consultation must also explain why the knee hurts, what is limiting function and which findings actually change the plan.
Urgent symptoms? Sudden severe pain, deformity, inability to bear weight after injury, a hot swollen knee with fever, or possible clot symptoms need prompt medical assessment.
A gradual change, a specific twist, a direct impact or a flare after increasing activity can lead the assessment in different directions.
Front, inside, outside or back of the knee—and whether the pain is focal or diffuse—helps organise the examination.
The timing of swelling, true locking, catching, clicking or giving way adds context that a pain score alone cannot provide.
Walking distance, stairs, work, sleep, exercise and confidence reveal the real-world weight of the problem.
Weight-bearing X-rays or MRI are selected when they can answer a defined clinical question—not simply because pain is present.
TREATMENT MATCHED TO THE PROBLEM
Treatment depends on the diagnosis, severity, previous care, general health and the function a person wants to regain. Knee pain does not automatically progress towards surgery.
BUILD CAPACITY
Education, activity adjustment and targeted work on strength, mobility and movement may be central when the knee can be managed without an operation.
Examples depend on the individual assessment.MANAGE SYMPTOMS
Medication discussions, weight or load management and selected injections may be considered where appropriate alongside—not instead of—a clear diagnosis.
Benefits and limitations should be discussed.TREAT STRUCTURE OR JOINT
Arthroscopic, cartilage or joint replacement procedures are considered only when the structural problem, symptoms and individual circumstances support that route.
The operation must fit the problem.These are not stages in a conveyor belt. The appropriate route may remain non-operative, combine approaches or change as the diagnosis becomes clearer.
WHEN THE PATTERN POINTS ELSEWHERE
KNEE PAIN FAQs
General information only. A personal diagnosis or treatment recommendation requires an individual clinical assessment.
Request an appointmentAssessment may be useful when pain persists, repeatedly swells, catches, locks, affects sleep, or limits walking, stairs, work or exercise. Sudden severe or urgent symptoms need prompt medical assessment.
Not always. The history and examination guide whether weight-bearing X-rays, MRI or no immediate imaging is most useful. Imaging should answer a clinical question and help change a decision.
No. Its relevance depends on how it occurred, the symptoms, examination findings, age and activity, associated arthritis or cartilage change, and response to appropriate non-operative care. Read the meniscus guide.
Front-of-knee pain can relate to loading, movement patterns, soft tissues, cartilage or patellofemoral arthritis. Examination helps identify which factors are relevant. Explore kneecap pain.
No. Treatment is based on symptoms, function, examination, imaging, health and personal goals. Many people begin with non-operative care. Compare the arthritis and replacement pathways.
Seek prompt medical assessment for sudden severe pain, obvious deformity, inability to bear weight after injury, a hot swollen knee with fever, or symptoms that could indicate a blood clot.
A CLINICAL STARTING POINT
You do not need to identify the structure yourself. Bring the timeline, the symptoms and the activities that matter to you; the assessment can organise the next step.