title: Determinants of pain in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several factors are associated with the development or exacerbation of pain in knee osteoarthritis (KOA). In this study, we reviewed this context based on relevant studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recent published studies which have addressed the relationship between pain and KOA were summarized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Correlates of the clinical, demographic features, laboratory tests and abnormalities on radiographic as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the knee pain have been discussed. The results indicated that many factors such as synovitis, synovial effusion, obesity, as well as structural lesions determined by MRI or radiographic examination, serum cytokines, inflammatory markers are determinants of pain in KOA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This context requires further investigations for identification of additional factors which initiate pain in asymptomatic KOA.
authors.affiliation: Mobility Impairment Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Behzad
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Heidari
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Karimollah
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hajian-Tilaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital Division of Rheumatology, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
authors.forename: Mansour
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Babaei
keywords: C-reactive protein; Determinants; Knee osteoarthritis; Pain; Structural lesions; Synovitis