[Osteoarthrosis: implementation of current diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms]

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Rheumatology
• Degenerative Joint Disease Research

Background:

• Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease.
• Gonarthrosis (knee OA) and coxarthrosis (hip OA) represent the highest prevalence among OA clinical presentations.
• Effective management requires understanding OA characteristics and assessment scales.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present current evidence on diagnostic algorithms and treatment for osteoarthritis.
• To focus on knee and hip osteoarthritis due to their high prevalence.
• To outline a rational patient monitoring procedure based on symptoms and severity.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on osteoarthritis assessment, classification, diagnosis, and treatment.
• Emphasis on evidence pertaining to knee and hip joints.
• Inclusion of information on patient monitoring protocols and novel therapeutic options.

Main Results:

• Detailed exposition of osteoarthritis characteristics and various assessment/classification scales.
• Presentation of current diagnostic algorithms and treatment strategies for knee and hip OA.
• Introduction of viscosupplementation with Hylan GF-20 as a recent therapeutic advancement.

Conclusions:

• Comprehensive understanding of osteoarthritis, especially gonarthrosis and coxarthrosis, is crucial.
• Evidence-based diagnostic and treatment algorithms, alongside structured monitoring, improve patient care.
• Viscosupplementation with Hylan GF-20 shows therapeutic potential for osteoarthritis management.