Knee Osteoarthritis Revisited; But Only After KL Grading Is Tested: A Retrospective Analysis

Description

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is one of the major causes in musculoskeletal condition leading to functional loss in patients. Determining the progression of the disease is a useful tool which will help in the planning of the exercise programme to slow or halt the disease progression. Measuring the joint space width of the tibiofemoral joint is one of the best options for knowing the disease progression and helps in designing an exercise programme. Aim: Retrospective measurement of joint space width in patients with bilateral tibiofemoral osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Methodology: Data was retrieved from the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) from 1st of February to 22nd of June 2018. Radiographs that were showing OA knee features by using Kellegren Lawrence (KL) grading system were considered and the joint space between the tibial and femoral compartment was measured. Result: The joint space width showed more reduction in the medial compartment of the joint as compared to the lateral compartment. Conclusion: In the rural population of Maharashtra the medial joint space is markedly decreased as compared to the lateral compartment of the tibiofemoral joint and as the KL grade increases the joint space width decreased.
Keywords: Osteoarthritis; Knee; Joint space width; Rural Maharashtra.