Knee health promotion option for knee osteoarthritis: A preliminary report of a concept of multidisciplinary management

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is a main cause of disability in the elderly population. Although there are a number of treatments that can help ease symptoms, there is, as yet, no cure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the preliminary outcome of a multidisciplinary management option based on studies of medial abrasion syndrome (MAS) as a cause of knee OA. Methods: Over a period of one year 520 patients were enrolled into this study, between them having 862 knees at different stages of OA. There were 127 males (24.4%) and 393 females (75.6%). The mean age of these patients was 65 years (SD:10). An integrated protocol for the treatment of knee OA, based on the findings of research into MAS, which we call the ``knee health promotion option (KHPO){''}, was implemented for these patients. For this preliminary report, subjective satisfaction was assessed after follow-up at one year. Results: After one year, 511 patients with 844 affected knees (97.9%) remained enrolled in the study. The mean age of these patients at the time of surgery was 64 years (SD: 10). Subjective assessment was satisfactory in 794 (94.1%) knees. Six-hundred-and-fifty-seven knees (77.8%) of 379 patients received an arthroscopic cartilage regeneration facilitating procedure (ACRFP), 71 knees (8.4%) of 70 patients received unicompartmental arthroplasty (UKA), and 116 knees (13.8%) of 116 patients received total knee arthroplasty (TKA). For the arthroplasty group, the subjective assessment was satisfactory in 187 knees (100%). For the ACRFP group, the subjective assessment was satisfactory in 607 knees (92.4%). In the ACRFP group, the satisfactory rate was 91.2% for 228 stage II knees, 93.6% for 327 stage III knees, and 91.2% for 102 stage IV knees. Three knees in the stage IV group had converted to arthroplasy after the minimum follow-up of one year. Conclusions: According to this preliminary report, KHPO targeting on the MAS as a cause of knee OA could provide patients with a high degree of treatment satisfaction. Further studies are mandatory to investigate their long-term outcomes.