Article

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) has a significant impact on quality of life
(QOL). Although QOL is generally thought to diminish over time, it is unknown
whether different patient groups demonstrate unique patterns of change in QOL. We
sought to identify and characterize QOL trajectories in knee OA. DESIGN: This
prospective cohort study included 1013 individuals with symptomatic knee OA from
the osteoarthritis initiative. We used group-based trajectory modeling to
identify distinct temporal patterns of change in the Knee Injury and
Osteoarthritis Outcome Score QOL subscale for 8 yrs. Baseline covariates included
age, sex, ethnicity, education, co-morbidities, body mass index, substance use,
depression, knee pain, and functional tests. RESULTS: Group-based trajectory
modeling revealed the following three distinct QOL trajectories: a high QOL
trajectory (32% of the cohort) experiencing improvement for 8 yrs as well as
moderate (49%) and low QOL (20%) trajectories maintaining similar levels over
time. Low QOL trajectory membership was significantly associated with younger age
(P < 0.001), nonwhite race (P < 0.001), less education (P < 0.001), more
co-morbidities (P < 0.001), higher body mass index (P < 0.001), and more
depressive symptoms (P < 0.001). Higher QOL trajectory members were less likely
to undergo knee replacement surgery (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Distinct QOL
trajectories exist in knee OA and are associated with modifiable factors, with a
subset of patients showing potential to improve their QOL over time.

Langue : ANGLAIS