Updated guidance on diagnosing and treating knee osteoarthritis aims to reduce pain and disability for people with this chronic condition, which affects many Australians.
Each year more than 53,000 knee replacements are performed to treat knee osteoarthritis in Australia – yet many people can manage their condition successfully without surgery.
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care published the updated Osteoarthritis of the Knee Clinical Care Standard (2024) based on the latest evidence. The 2024 Standard highlights appropriate use of imaging, which is not usually necessary for initial diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee. If warranted, X-ray is the first preference, while MRI and CT scans are rarely needed for people with typical knee osteoarthritis symptoms.
Focus on non-surgical interventions
There is also a greater focus on supporting patients with non-surgical interventions, such as physical activity, exercise and weight management, which are key to improving mobility and reducing pain for people with knee osteoarthritis. Evidence shows that most people with knee osteoarthritis who can self-manage their condition, are physically active and can manage their weight, will be able to participate in the activities they enjoy without ever needing surgery.
Mid and North Coast HealthPathways has updated their Knee Osteoarthritis page in alignment with these 2024 guidelines, to assist GPs with managing these patients at the point of care. This includes recommended non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments, as well which treatments the guidelines recommend to avoid.
“Aligning our local HealthPathways with national guidelines promptly allows our GPs access to the most up-to-date, best-practice recommendations, so the patients in our region can receive the best possible care” – Healthy North Coast Clinical Editor, Dr Grace Leung.
The updated Knee Osteoarthritis HealthPathway can be found at:
- Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) on HealthPathways
- Username: manchealth
- Password: conn3ct3d
