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Pain
Obviously, the most common symptom that brings someone to the doctor's office for arthritis of the knee is knee pain. In it's early stages, the pain may be a minor nuisance that is present only at the end of a long day of standing. As the arthritis progresses, the pain can begin to affect activity level. Sometimes it hurts more with prolonged standing, so the patient may modify his or her activity level so that they simply spend more time sitting, or give up hobbies that involve standing. In it's advanced stages, degenerative knee arthritis can cause constant aching pain like a toothache. It can get to the point where the patient can't even sleep much at night due to the pain. It may hurt even with simply sitting. It may prevent the patient from doing their necessary activities such as going to the grocery store or basic shopping.
"Popping" and Locking
Because degenerative arthritis involves wear and tear of the smooth surface of the knee, the knee can begin to exhibit mechanical symptoms of popping, grinding and locking as the smooth surfaces become rough. When the two rough surfaces rub together, the knee may click, catch, pop, lock or grind or have other unusual sensations.
"Crookedness"
As the arthritis becomes more severe, the knee can appear "crooked" so that the patient becomes "bowlegged" or "knock-kneed." This is because one side of the knee is probably more worn than the other side.
"Giving way"
The knee may suddenly give out resulting in falls or near falls because of sudden unexpected bursts of pain.
Swelling
The knee can be swollen, especially after a busy day.
Other
Everyone is different, so there can be many other symptoms and variations of symptoms associated with arthritis of the knee.
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