AB0869 CLINICAL FEATURES OF WOMEN WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS AT DIAGNOSIS IN CAMEROON, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Authors: F. Kemta Lekpa, A. Tidjong Kamkui, H. Namme Luma, S. P. Choukem
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2020)

Background: To the best of our knowledge, no study has been done in sub-Saharan Africa among those who suggest that knee osteoarthritis is more severe in women. Objectives: To assess differences in features of knee osteoarthritis between female and male patients in a sub-Saharan Cameroonian population. Methods: A cross-sectional study from December 2018 to April 2019 conducted in the Rheumatology Unit of the General Hospital, Douala, Cameroon. We included patients with a recent diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis according to 1986 ACR criteria and Kellgren–Lawrence radiographic grading ≥ 2. Sociodemographic, clinical, radiographic and therapeutic data at diagnosis were collected. Assessment of the functional disability was done using the Lequesne algofunctional index, more adapted to Africans than WOMAC index. We compared these data between women and men. A p &lt;0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: We screened 168 patients with the diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis. Seventeen patients with Kellgren-Lawrence radiographic grading at 1 were excluded. Then, we included 151 patients (120 women and 31 men) in the final analysis. The main characteristics of patients at diagnosis are summarized in Table 1. Knee osteoarthritis in women was characterized by a low level of education, a low financial income, and a high frequency of obesity. There was no difference between women and men for age at diagnosis, place of residence, intensity of pain, functional disability, number of compartments of the affected knee, Kellgren-Lawrence radiographic grading, and treatment previously received. Table 1. Main characteristics of patients with knee osteoarthritis at diagnosis Parameters Total population Mean (SD ) Male Mean (SD ) Female Mean (SD ) p Age (years ) Mean age 59.88(12.8) 61.48(14.38) 59.46(12.41) 0.43 &lt;40 10(6.6) 4(12.9) 6(5) 0.24 40-65 87(57.6) 14(45.16) 73(60.83) 0.17 &gt;65 54(35.8) 13(41.94) 41(34.17) 0.55 Residence Rural 37(24.5) 10(32.26) 27(22.5) 0.37 Urban 114(75.5) 21(67.74) 93(77.5) 0.37 Level of education Primary 40(26.5) 3(9.68) 37(30.83) 0.03 Secondary 66(43.7) 9(29.03) 57(47.5) 0.09 University 35(23.2) 19(61.29) 16(13.33) 0.0000 Illiterate 10(6.6) 0 10(8.33) 0.20 Duration of OA (months ) 38(44.9) 39.7(58.92) 37.59(40.92) 0.81 Pain VAS pain (mean) 5.2(1.6) 5(1.34) 5.34(1.68) 0.29 Mild pain 25(16.56) 4(12.9) 21(17.5) 0.73 Moderate pain 94(62.25) 24(77.42) 70(58.33) 0.08 Severe pain 32(21.19) 3(9.68) 29(24.17) 0.13 Joint effusion 28(18.5) 4(12.90) 24(20) 0.51 BMI Mean BMI 32.42(6.25) 26.89(4.05) 31.33(6.41) 0.0003 Normal 30(19.87) 11(35.48) 19(15.83) 0.02 Overweight 46(30.46) 14(45.16) 32(26.07) 0.07 Obesity 65(49.67 ) 6(19.35 ) 69(57.5 ) 0.003 Lequesne index Mean Lequesne index 8.6(2.4) 8.32(2.53) 8.77(2.4) 0.35 Moderate handicap 40(26.49) 9(29.03) 31(25.83) 0.89 Severe handicap 64(42.38) 12(32.71) 52(43.33) 0.79 Very severe handicap 37(24.5) 8(25.81) 29(24.17) 1 Kellgren-Lawrence grading Grade 2 81(53.6) 19(61.29) 62(51.67) 0.44 Grade 3 55(36.4) 9(29.03) 46(38.33) 0.45 Grade 4 15(10) 3(9.68) 12(10) 1 Compartment involved 1 18(11.92) 6(19.35) 12(10) 0.26 2 28(18.54) 4(12.9) 24(20) 0.51 3 105(69.6) 21(67.74) 84(70) 0.98 Medial femoro-tibial 128(84.77) 25(80.65) 103(85.83) 0.66 Lateral femoro-tibial 117(77.48) 23(74.19) 94(78.33) 0.80 Femoro-patellar 144(95.36) 29(93.55) 115(95.83) 0.95 Conclusion: Apart from obesity, characteristics of knee osteoarthritis seems to be similar in women and men at diagnosis in Cameroon. Disclosure of Interests: None declared