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Journal article
Elucidating the Initial Symptoms and Experiences of Knee Osteoarthritis: An International Patient Survey
Osteoarthritis and cartilage, Vol.33(9), pp.1147-1152
09/2025
PMID: 40436245
Web of Science ID: WOS:001550799000005
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Abstract
Objectives
Within the first phase of developing classification criteria for Early-stage Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis (EsSKOA), among individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA) we explored: 1) symptoms within the first year of noticing their knee(s); 2) features that indicated OA was the cause; and 3) timing and reasons that initially prompted seeking healthcare.
Design
We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of individuals with knee OA recruited from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and the USA. Only individuals who indicated they recalled their first symptoms were eligible. Using free-text, participants described changes in how their knee looked, felt, moved, their overall state within the first year of noticing their knee(s), features perceived to indicate knee OA was the cause, and reasons for initially seeking healthcare. We assessed timing of seeking care by an ordinal scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and summative content analysis.
Results
We included 92 participants (median age 67 years [IQR 59,75], 69% women, median BMI 26 kg/m2 [IQR 24,30]). Within the first year from onset, frequently reported symptoms were knee pain (70%), swelling (58%), crepitus (42%), stiffness (29%), and instability (24%). While few could provide specific clinical features, approximately half (53%) perceived medical imaging as important to indicate OA. Only 35% sought healthcare within the first year of experiencing symptoms.
Conclusions
Individuals with knee OA recalled varied knee symptoms within the first year and few sought healthcare. We were unable to ascertain, from the perspective of patients, specific clinical features that indicated they had OA and not another condition.
Details
- Title
- Elucidating the Initial Symptoms and Experiences of Knee Osteoarthritis
- Publication Details
- Osteoarthritis and cartilage, Vol.33(9), pp.1147-1152
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Osteoarthritis Research Society International
- Number of pages
- 6
- Grant note
- GrunenthalViatris Inc.
The authors wish to thank the study participants. We would like to acknowledge the funding support for this initiative by Grunenthal and Viatris Inc., and the fundraising efforts by Stefan Lohmander, Ali Mobasheri, and Francis Berenbaum, on behalf of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) . We also acknowledge support from the OARSI Board of Directors. The authors wish to thank the following members of the OARSI Early-stage Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis Initiative Advisory Committee: Stefan Lohmander, [Chair] , Francis Berenbaum, Marc Hochberg, Muneaki Ishijima, Nancy Lane, Siddharth Das, Ali Mobasheri, Elena Losina, Changhai Ding, Stephanie Filbay, Carolyn Emery, Margreet Kloppenburg. The authors thank Sim Wong and Estella Bailey for their pilot testing and constructive feedback of an earlier version of the questionnaire.
- Copyright
- © 2025 The Author(s).
- Identifiers
- WOS:001550799000005; 99381364062406600
- Academic Unit
- Usha Kundu, MD College of Health; Movement Sciences and Health
- Language
- English