Patterns of presentation of knee osteoarthritis at the Kenyatta National Hospital.

Abstract

Background: Symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee is a very common problem. Osteoarthritis of the knee leads to loss of range of motion and leads to pain which leads to restriction of activity. Patients with osteoarthritis of the knee are more likely to seek medical care as patients without arthritis. Objective: To assess the pattern of presentation of osteoarthritis of the knee in the African population presenting to the orthopaedic outpatient clinic at the Kenyatta National Hospital. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Setting: Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) Orthopaedic out-patient clinic. Patients and methods: Patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis who consented to be included in the study as well as meet the inclusion criteria were recruited. Participants were assessed using a standard questionnaire involving demographical data, the Oxford Knee Scoring system and clinical examination data. The duration of the study was three months during which time 164 patients were recruited out of a patient population of 1,200 who visited the orthopaedic clinic within the same period. Results 164 patients were recruited with 132 female and 32 male. Mean age of the patients was 60.2 years with an average BMI of 30.7. Most patients were farmers or housewives (68.2%) and the mean oxford knee score was 19. There was an average flexion loss of 18on the right and 21.8on the left with an extension lag of 1.8on the right and 2.1on the left. Discussion This study shows that the local presentation and pattern of knee osteoarthritis conforms well to studies done elsewhere.