Frequency of factors associated with knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of factors associated with knee osteoarthritis.

Method: A cross sectional study was conducted in the department of medicine at Liaquat National Hospital Karachi from September 2007 - March 2008 on patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis of knee. One hundred patients of age more than 18 years, and of either gender were consecutively included. Those patients with family history, occupations like farmers, mill workers and jack hammer operators, females with hormonal replacement therapy, patients with hyperparathyroidism, haemochromatosis and systemic lupus erythematosus were excluded. The patients were then graded on the basis of knee joint X-ray findings into four grades. The main outcome variables of the study were factors associated with osteoarthritis which included obesity, age, gender, smoking and anaemia.

Results: The mean age was 56.28 +/- 8.786 years. The mean BMI was 29.434 +/- 7.849 years and mean Haemoglobin was 11.77 +/- 1.670 mg/dl. The frequency of factors associated with osteoarthritis was age 55 years in 60 (60%) patients. Gender included 74 (74%) females and 26 (26%) males. Smokers were 25 (25%), obesity was present in 33 (33%) and anaemia was present in 7 (50%) women and 16 (61.5%) males.

Conclusion: The study found that females of age greater than 55 years mostly noted to visit a tertiary care hospital due to knee osteoarthritis.