Many elderly patients already suffering from OA Knee developed spinal disc herniated with nerve root compression. In this situation for elderly patients, it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact location & nature of pain as they suffer from knee pain & thigh pain. So it becomes difficult for Orthopedics or spine surgeons or a neurosurgeon to decide existing pain is due to whether OA Knee or spine problem. Regarding imaging studies, both Knee & Spine clearly show the degenerative or disc prolapse or nerve root compression.
It is more confusing when there is L2-L3 compression is there as knee dermatome is also L3. My question is how to take a decision whether the pain is due to the knee or spine & which one is to treat first?
