Concordance between clinical and radiographic evaluations of knee osteoarthritis.

Background: Significant correlation has been previously demonstrated between radiographic and clinical diagnoses of knee osteoarthritis (OA); however, the specific findings on clinical examination that relate best to a radiographic diagnosis have not been fully elicited.

Aims: We aimed to explore the relationship between clinical symptoms and physical findings with radiographic diagnoses of tibiofemoral and patellofemoral OA.

Methods: This study was based on 409 individuals from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study, born between 1931 and 1939.

How well do radiographic, clinical and self-reported diagnoses of knee osteoarthritis agree? Findings from the Hertfordshire cohort study.

Objective: Epidemiological studies of knee osteoarthritis (OA) have often used a radiographic definition. However, the clinical syndrome of OA is influenced by a broad range of factors in addition to the structural changes required for radiographic OA. Hence more recently several studies have adopted a clinical or self-reported approach to OA diagnosis rather than a radiographic approach.