Impact of Monthly Community Follow-Ups in Knee Osteoarthritis Management for Elderly Patients

BACKGROUND Chronic knee osteoarthritis (KOA) severely affects elderly populations, yet optimal pain management remains elusive. While community interventions show rehabilitation potential, evidence comparing structured follow-up frequencies is limited. This randomized trial compared intensified monthly community follow-ups vs semi-annual monitoring for improving pain control, functional capacity, and quality of life in elderly patients with KOA. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 112 elderly patients with KOA were enrolled and randomly assigned to either a control group (semi-annual follow-ups) or a follow-up group (monthly community interventions including pain management education and exercise adherence supervision) during the 14-month study. Outcomes were assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Statistical analyses performed with SPSS 27.0 included paired-sample t tests for intra-group changes and independent-sample t tests for inter-group comparisons. RESULTS The control group showed a significant reduction in VAS scores at the final assessment (P<0.05). The follow-up group showed significant improvements across VAS, KOOS, and SF-36 scores (P<0.05). Improvements in VAS, KOOS, and SF-36 scores were significantly greater in the follow-up group than in the control group (P<0.05). Furthermore, changes in VAS scores were correlated with changes in KOOS and SF-36 scores (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Regular community follow-ups significantly enhanced pain management, functional outcomes, and quality of life among elderly patients with KOA. By fostering adherence to exercise regimens, this approach proved to be a viable strategy for enhancing rehabilitation outcomes, meriting its broader adoption in clinical practice.