Am I a candidate for GAE?

Inner-knee pain is the most common pattern

The inside of the knee carries the most load, so it is usually where arthritis pain settles first — and it is the area GAE most often targets.

Front-of-knee pain has more than one cause

Pain around the kneecap can come from the joint surface or from the soft tissue around it. Imaging at your consult is what separates the two.

Pain across the whole knee suggests widespread wear

When it is hard to point to one spot, the joint lining is often inflamed rather than one area being worn. That inflammation is what GAE is aimed at.

Both knees is typical, and treated one at a time

Arthritis rarely picks a side. GAE treats one knee per visit, usually starting with the one limiting you most.

Pain at rest or at night is a meaningful signal

Arthritis pain that follows you to bed usually points to inflammation rather than simple wear — and inflammation is fed by blood vessels, which is what GAE treats.

Stairs are usually the first thing to go

Going down stairs loads the knee far harder than walking on the flat, so it is often where people first notice the joint is changing.

Injections wearing off sooner is the pattern GAE is for

Steroid injections quiet inflammation for a while. When each round lasts less than the one before, it usually means the blood supply feeding that inflammation has not been addressed.

You have already worked through the first-line options

Medication and physical therapy are the right place to start. When they stop being enough, GAE sits between them and surgery.

Starting early keeps more options open

Nothing tried yet is a good position to be in. It means a consult can lay out the whole ladder rather than the last rung of it.

You do not have to decide about replacement today

GAE is an outpatient, non-surgical option that does not rule out a knee replacement later. It is a step you can take first, not instead.

Years of pain rarely settles on its own

Knee arthritis tends to progress slowly. Pain that has been there for years is worth understanding properly rather than waiting out.

Worth a closer look

Your answers do not point to anything urgent. That makes this an easy time to get a clear picture of what is happening in the joint.