Knee Osteoarthritis: Overview, NonSurgical/Surgical Management and Physical Therapy Treatment

Course Description

According to Skou and colleagues (2015), more than 670,000 total knee replacements are performed annually in the United States. According to Nielsen and colleagues (2017), osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent joint disease worldwide. Nielsen and colleagues also stated that OA is strongly associated with aging and obesity. Total knee replacements are the result of knee OA, which is a degenerative joint disease. Knee OA can lead to joint pain that can cause functional decline. Physical therapy can help patients with knee OA by focusing on restoring range of motion, flexibility, and strength to improve a patient’s functional abilities. But patients who have more moderate to severe knee OA with significant symptoms may require surgical intervention.  

Knee OA is prevalent in today’s society with the active aging population. Physical therapists play an important role in restoring function for these patients with nonsurgical and postoperative interventions. As age increases, so does the likelihood of developing OA. Knee OA has been found to be the most common type of arthritis, occurring in 6% of all adults (Michael et al., 2010). OA at this point is not a curable disease, but nonsurgical interventions can prolong the need for a total knee arthroplasty that can aid in relief of symptoms associated with the disease. The main goals of both nonsurgical and surgical treatment for knee OA are to decrease pain and improve function.