Osteoarthritis in Young People: Difference between revisions

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# High-quality evidence has shown no benefit of [[Arthroscopic Meniscectomy|arthroscopy]] for knee OA, and there are no published clinical trials to support the use of hip arthroscopy for OA.  
# High-quality evidence has shown no benefit of [[Arthroscopic Meniscectomy|arthroscopy]] for knee OA, and there are no published clinical trials to support the use of hip arthroscopy for OA.  
# Referral for joint-conserving or joint replacement surgery should be considered when nonpharmacological and pharmacological management strategies are no longer effective.<ref name=":0" />
# Referral for joint-conserving or joint replacement surgery should be considered when nonpharmacological and pharmacological management strategies are no longer effective.<ref name=":0" />
== Clinical Presentation  ==
Nonspecific symptoms, mainly local:
* [[Pain Mechanisms|Pain]]
* Loss in ROM
* Crepitation
* Stiffness / total blocking
* Morphological deformities
Pain is more likely caused by congenital hip dysplasia, athletic injuries, trauma, spondyloarthropathy, and by conditions that first appear during this stage of life, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, intravenous drug use, alcoholism, or corticosteroid use.<ref name="troum">Troum OM., Crues JV. The Young Adult With Hip Pain: Diagnosis and Medical Treatment (2004) Division of Rheumatology, University of Southern California, 9-17 (C)</ref><br>Furthermore the more common characteristics of generalized osteoarthritis can be found in the young adult, mainly in the Hip and Knee.<br>
== Examination ==
The examination should evaluate the patient’s functional performance.<ref name="rds">Royal Dutch Society for Physical Therapy (2010). KNGF Guideline for Physical Therapy in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. De Fysiotherapeut, V120, 1 (D)</ref>&nbsp;The examiner should:
# Inspect [[posture]] and movement in daily activities, with special attention for the back, pelvis, ankles and feet. If walking aids are used, the upper extremity must also be inspected.
# Palpate for presence of swelling or raised temperature and muscle tone.
# Do active/passive functional testing
# Assess [[Muscle Strength Testing|muscle strength]]
# Assess mobility
# Assess [[Balance|balanc]]<nowiki/>e and stability
# Assess coordination
== Prevention  ==
== Prevention  ==


The prevention of development of [[osteoarthritis]] in the adolescent can be achieved by reducing risk factors. Physiotherapists can promote the maintenance of a healthy weight, low-impact activities, giving exercises to improve joint stability to prevent joint injuries.<ref name="nicholson">Nicholson S. et al. Reducing Premature Osteoarthritis in the Adolescent Through Appropriate Screening. (2009) Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 24, 69-74 (B)</ref> They can have influence by preventing further progression or complications of a disorder and improving the patient’s self-efficacy.<ref name="rds" /><br>In case of malalignments (leg-length discrepancy, varus/valgus, etc.) young patients should be referred to a podiatrist for insoles to prevent the development of OA (in the hip or knee) at an older age.  
The prevention of development of [[osteoarthritis]] in the adolescent can be achieved by reducing risk factors. Physiotherapists can promote the maintenance of a healthy weight, low-impact activities, giving exercises to improve joint stability to prevent joint injuries.<ref name="nicholson">Nicholson S. et al. Reducing Premature Osteoarthritis in the Adolescent Through Appropriate Screening. (2009) Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 24, 69-74 (B)</ref> They can have influence by preventing further progression or complications of a disorder and improving the patient’s self-efficacy.<ref name="rds">Royal Dutch Society for Physical Therapy (2010). KNGF Guideline for Physical Therapy in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. De Fysiotherapeut, V120, 1 (D)</ref><br>In case of malalignments (leg-length discrepancy, varus/valgus, etc.) young patients should be referred to a podiatrist for insoles to prevent the development of OA (in the hip or knee) at an older age.  
== References  ==
== References  ==



Revision as of 07:22, 17 October 2021

Definition[edit | edit source]

Runners-knee SAG.jpeg

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most devastating chronic conditions that affect people around the world. Although the usual population associated with the condition is the elderly (who are mostly inactive), athletes and younger individuals are also susceptible.

  • Depending on the population, the etiology may differ; injuries, occupational activities, and obesity appear to be the most common causes of OA in young and athletic populations.
  • Diagnosing OA in athletes and young individuals is sometimes challenging because of their increased pain tolerance.
  • However, the treatment of OA in these populations does not differ from its management in the general population[1].

Potential Causes[edit | edit source]

There are a whole range of potential causes of osteoarthritis in young adults (14-40). These include –

  • Leading a sedentary (non-active) lifestyle
  • Poor posture when sitting for long periods
  • Heavy lifting (potentially with poor technique, but not necessarily)
  • Doing an office job with large amounts of sitting at a desk/ computer
  • Being overweight or clinically obese
  • Being very active (running lots of marathons for example)
  • Playing impact sports such as rugby or football
  • Joint injuries
  • Birth defects such as hip dysplasia or different length legs
  • Hormone disorders that affect growth
  • Diabetes
  • Osteoarthritis in the family[2][3]

Assessment[edit | edit source]

Assessment of OA in younger people should focus on a:

  • Patient-centred history,
  • Comprehensive physical examination,
  • Performance-based measures
  • Patient-reported outcome measures to enable monitoring of symptoms and function over time.

Referral for imaging should be reserved for people presenting with atypical signs or symptoms that may indicate diagnoses other than OA.

Treatment Approach[edit | edit source]

The treatment of OA in these populations does not differ from its management in the general population.[1] See osteoarthritis

Nonpharmacological approaches are core strategies for the management of OA in younger people, and these include appropriate disease-related education, activity modification (including for work-related tasks), physical therapist- prescribed exercise programs to address identified physical impairments, and weight control or weight loss.

  1. High-quality evidence has shown no benefit of arthroscopy for knee OA, and there are no published clinical trials to support the use of hip arthroscopy for OA.
  2. Referral for joint-conserving or joint replacement surgery should be considered when nonpharmacological and pharmacological management strategies are no longer effective.[2]

Prevention[edit | edit source]

The prevention of development of osteoarthritis in the adolescent can be achieved by reducing risk factors. Physiotherapists can promote the maintenance of a healthy weight, low-impact activities, giving exercises to improve joint stability to prevent joint injuries.[4] They can have influence by preventing further progression or complications of a disorder and improving the patient’s self-efficacy.[5]
In case of malalignments (leg-length discrepancy, varus/valgus, etc.) young patients should be referred to a podiatrist for insoles to prevent the development of OA (in the hip or knee) at an older age.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Amoako AO, Pujalte GG. Osteoarthritis in young, active, and athletic individuals. Clinical Medicine Insights: Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2014 Jan;7:CMAMD-S14386.Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4039183/(accessed 17.10.20210
  2. 2.0 2.1 Ackerman IN, Kemp JL, Crossley KM, Culvenor AG, Hinman RS. Hip and knee osteoarthritis affects younger people, too. journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy. 2017 Feb;47(2):67-79.Available: https://www.jospt.org/doi/full/10.2519/jospt.2017.7286(accessed 17.10.2021)
  3. Oddis CV. New perspectives on osteoarthritis. The American journal of medicine. 1996 Feb 26;100(2):10S-5S.Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002934397895411(accessed 17.10.2021)
  4. Nicholson S. et al. Reducing Premature Osteoarthritis in the Adolescent Through Appropriate Screening. (2009) Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 24, 69-74 (B)
  5. Royal Dutch Society for Physical Therapy (2010). KNGF Guideline for Physical Therapy in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. De Fysiotherapeut, V120, 1 (D)