title: Evaluation of a method for clinically assessing osteoarthritis of the knee.
abstract: A system for assessing symptoms (pain, stiffness, gelling) and signs (local temperature, effusion, tenderness, synovial swelling, popliteal cyst, crepitus) of osteoarthritis of the knee has been developed. The system has been assessed for intra- and interobserver variation using normal and osteoarthritic knees. Intraobserver variability is low for all indices but interobserver variability is high for physical signs. It is suggested that the components within this system, when applied by a single observer, may provide a reasonable framework for clinical assessment of osteoarthritis of the knee.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care of the Elderly, City Hospital, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hopkinson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pattrick
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doherty
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010146:Pain; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods*