Assessing Radiographic Knee Osteoarthritis: An Online Training Tutorial for the Kellgren-Lawrence Grading Scale

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Orthopedics
• Rheumatology

Background:

• Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease causing pain and functional decline.
• Radiographic assessment using the Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) scale is common but lacks standardized training, leading to poor reliability.
• Developing a standardized training method is crucial for improving the consistency of KL grading in OA research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate an e-learning tutorial for standardized Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grading of knee osteoarthritis (OA).
• To assess the impact of this training on the reliability and confidence of assessors in grading knee OA radiographs.

Main Methods:

• An e-learning tutorial was created using Articulate Presenter, covering KL grading principles, knee anatomy, and radiographic examples.
• The tutorial focused on common inconsistencies in KL grading for knee OA.
• The training was delivered to health sciences graduate students at the University of Colorado Denver.

Main Results:

• Trainees completed the tutorial and assessment within an hour, reporting increased confidence in assessing knee OA.
• The training resulted in favorable inter- and intrarater reliability scores for KL grading.
• This demonstrates the effectiveness of standardized training in improving OA assessment.

Conclusions:

• This study presents the first standardized training program for Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grading of knee OA.
• The developed training significantly improved the reliability of knee OA radiographic assessment.
• Standardized training is essential for enhancing the quality and consistency of OA research.