Complex evaluation in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a very common, slowly progressive and incurable articular disease resulting in the breakdown of cartilage and bone in the joint, which causes significant discomfort, pain and disability, with a significant socio-economic impact. The aim of our observational study for patients with symptomatic KOA was to investigate the changes of C-terminal telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II) in serum pre and post a complex rehabilitation program and to establish the correlation between all studied parameters [clinical, functional, serum CTX-II (sCTX-II) and histological aspects obtained through arthroscopy]. During 2016-2017, we performed an observational study including 24 patients, between 59 and 76 years old, diagnosed with KOA. Studied patients were completely assessed before (T1) and four months after a complex rehabilitation program (T2). The measured parameters were stiffness, pain, and physical function and we used the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, with Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), sCTX-II value obtained by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, histological assessment of knee cartilage after arthroscopy. In the histological assessment of our patients, we observed that the cells of the superficial areas were round and hypertrophic, the cartilage tissue had few proteoaminoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, with an airy aspect of the matrix and degenerate cells, numerically reduced. After positive diagnosis, the complete treatment, including the rehabilitation program, seems to be the ideal option for improving the CTX-II values, as well as the quality of life in KOA patients.