Intensity of nighttime arthralgia and the radiographic grade of gonarthrosis: is there a link?

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease, affecting approximately 600 million people worldwide. Knee joint damage (gonarthrosis — GA) is the most common form of OA. The most distressing symptom of GA is arthralgia. About a quarter of patients with GA complains of night pain in the knee joints. Nighttime arthralgia is poorly relieved by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), disrupts sleep, and causes depression. The presence of nighttime arthralgia indicates a more unfavorable course of GA and is used as one of the criteria for knee arthroplasty. The aim. To identify the intensity of nighttime arthralgia in patients with GA of various radiographic grades (by Kellgren-Lawrence).