The Clinical Characteristic and Management of Knee  Osteoarthritis in the Outpatient Rehabilitation Department at Siriraj Hospital, A Descriptive Study

Pattamorn Boonsiripipat; Kingkaew Pajareya

Authors

Pattamorn Boonsiripipat -
Kingkaew Pajareya

Keywords:

steoarthritis knee, clinical characteristics, management, glucosamine sulfate

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the relationship between demographic, clinical characteristics and management of patients with primary knee osteoarthritis

Study design: Retrospective chart review

Setting: Outpatient Rehabilitation Department of Siriraj Hospital

Subjects: 300 patients diagnosed with primary knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: Data was collected from the medical records of patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (OA) knee with ICD-10 codes M17.0, 17.1, or 17.9 at Siriraj Hospital’s Outpatient Rehabilitation Department in 2018, the year before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results: The study involved 300 patients diagnosed with primary knee OA. The mean age was 69.8 years (SD = 9.6) and 89% were female. The median BMI was 25.3 kg/cm². Most (67%) used civil servant medical coverage. Of the patients, 88.9% had bilateral knee pain and limited walking, and 66.9% of the patients who underwent roentgenographic study of the knees had early radiographic changes (Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) grades 0-1). The hospital records showed topical analgesics was the most commonly prescribed drugs (51.3%), followed by glucosamine sulfate (21.7%) which was associated with significantly milder radiographic changes (p = 0.004). Half the patients received educational information on knee OA and advice on appropriate exercises. Provision of weight reduction advice was associated with patients with higher body mass index (p < 0.001). Hospital-based physiotherapy was prescribed for nearly half the patients (43%). Non-pharmacological prescriptions were not significantly associated with radiographic severity.

Conclusions: The main characteristics of knee osteoarthritis patients in this study included obesity, elderly, female gender, civil servant medical coverage, bilateral knee pain, and mild radio-graphic severity. Weight reduction advice was given more frequently to patients with a higher BMI, and glucosamine sulfate was prescribed more often for patients with mild radiographic severity.

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