Clinical and Radiological Characteristics of 104 Knee Osteoarthritis Patients at First Presentation

Oguntona S.A.
Department of Medicine
Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria
E-mail: oguntonasa@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the commonest articular disease in the elderly people. It
represents a heterogenous group of conditions resulting in common histopathological
and radiologic changes. Current view holds that OA is a disease of the entire joint organ
and not of cartilage alone. A prospective study of all elderly patients aged 40 years and
above with knee pain was conducted. Plain radiographs of the affected knee were
requested. People below 40 years and those with traumatic pain or polyarticular
involvement were excluded. The study was carried out in a private rheumatology clinic
over three years (July 2009- June 2012). OA constituted 30.9% of all rheumatology
cases seen over the studied period. Male constituted 30.8% and female made up of
61.2%, with a male: female ratio of 1:2.3. 76.9% presented after one year duration of
onset of pain. Medial compartment of the knee was affected in 76.9% of patients on
plain radiograph. Considerable variation occurred with pain severity and radiographic
findings. 65.4% of the patients were either overweight or obese. Hypertension was the
commonest co-morbid condition (48.1%). The results of knee radiographs should not be
used in isolation when assessing individual patients with knee pain. The clinical
presentations must be considered alongside the plain radiographic findings.