Prevalence of knee osteoarthritis and analysis of pain, rigidity, and functional incapacity

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most prevalent health problems in our society. It accounts for 10% of all primary care visits in general medicine and 30% of outpatient appointments. The objectives of this cross-sectional descriptive study of 100 patients suffering from gonarthritis were to assess pain, functional capacity, and joint damage in patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis, as well as the possible repercussions for subsequent surgical treatment. Sociodemographic, clinical, and radiological data were collected, and pain and functional capacity were evaluated by using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. The majority (71) of patients were women, mean age 71 years (SD=7.84), of low educational (66%) and financial (89%) status, with mean disease duration of 11.8 years. Of the total, 87% presented with comorbidity. Radiographs revealed a varus malalignment in 31% of patients and a valgus malalignment in 17%, with bone collapse in 39% of these. The factors that most affect surgery and subsequent rehabilitation are closely linked to social status, the general state of the patient, and the radiological severity of gonarthritis. Most of the patients were obese and suffered from comorbid conditions, and some presented with psychopathology. These factors may influence surgery, and thus improvements in primary care should be made as a way of offering a simpler and more effective treatment for gonarthritis.