Outpatient management of knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of disability worldwide. In 2015, the World Health Organization estimated that a total of 8,000 years had been lost to disability from OA in Singapore. (1) As a major weight-bearing joint, the knee is one of the most common sites affected. Besides the obvious direct costs, knee OA imposes substantial indirect and intangible costs on patients. Recognising the increasing burden of disease in our ageing population, the Ministry of Health, Singapore, released clinical practice guidelines on the management of knee OA more than ten years ago. (3) Since then, new research and major international guidelines have emerged to guide physicians in managing this ubiquitous disease.