Characterization of knee osteoarthritis in Latin America. A comparative analysis of clinical and health care utilization in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico.

Background: The burden of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in Latin America is unknown.

Objective: To determine the demographic, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of patients with OA in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico.

Material And Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional study of patients with symptomatic knee OA referred from first care medical centers to Rheumatology departments.

Results: We included 1210 patients (Argentina 398, Brazil 402, Mexico 410; mean age 61.8 [12] years; 80.8% females). Knee OA pain lasted for 69 months; the duration and severity of the last episode were 190 days and (SD 5.2 [3.3]; 74% had functional limitations, but very few patients lost their job because of knee OA. Around 71% had taken medications, but 63% relied on their own pocket to afford knee OA cost. Most demographic and clinical variables differed across countries, particularly the level of pain, disability, treatment, and access to care. The variable country of origin influenced the level of pain, disability, and NSAIDs use in logistic regression models; age, pain, treatment, and health care access influenced at least 2 of the models.

Conclusions: The burden of knee OA in Latin American depends on demographic, clinical, and therapeutic variables. The role of such variables differs across countries. The level of certain variables is significantly influenced by country of origin and health care system.