[Rating scale for osteoarthritis knee assessment]

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
• Rheumatology
• Medical Imaging and Diagnostics

Background:

• Knee osteoarthritis assessment requires reliable and valid grading scales.
• The Bristol Score is a commonly used but potentially suboptimal tool.
• Development of improved assessment instruments is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a new grading scale for knee osteoarthritis, termed Magdalena de las Salinas H-1 (MSH1).
• To compare the sensitivity, consistency, and validity of the MSH1 scale against the Bristol Score.
• To establish the MSH1 scale as a reliable instrument for assessing knee osteoarthritis.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, observational study involving 55 patients (≥35 years) with diagnosed knee osteoarthritis.
• The Bristol Score was assessed by two orthopedic surgeons in 25 patients.
• The MSH1 scale was evaluated in 30 patients, and its validity was further assessed using a developed osteoarthritis radiographic score.

Main Results:

• The MSH1 scale demonstrated significantly higher inter-observer reliability (ICC total 0.91, kappa 0.81) compared to the Bristol Score (ICC total 0.62, kappa 0.51).
• MSH1 showed stronger negative correlations with radiographic osteoarthritis scores (-0.62) than the Bristol Score (-0.29), indicating better validity.
• MSH1 achieved higher agreement rates (90%) between observers than the Bristol Score (80%).

Conclusions:

• The Magdalena de las Salinas H-1 (MSH1) scale is a more valid and reliable instrument for assessing knee osteoarthritis than the Bristol Score.
• MSH1 offers improved diagnostic accuracy and consistency for clinicians.
• This new scale has the potential to enhance the evaluation and management of knee osteoarthritis.