Effect of Learning Instruction Package on Patients' Knee Osteoarthritis Outcomes

Musculoskeletal disorders are a group of diseases of the body's motor structures, particularly the bones, joints, muscles, fascia, and other supporting structures such as ligaments and cartilages. In fact, it is estimated that approximately 1.71 billion people are living with a musculoskeletal condition.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic joint disorder, characterized by local inflammation and joint structural change, it is associated with painful symptoms and loss of function leading to considerable impairment of quality of life. The rising rates of disability caused by osteoarthritis highlight the need for implementing preventative measures at early stages of the disease, which would especially benefit subjects at high risk for osteoarthritis development. Several joints are mainly affected by osteoarthritis, especially the knee, hip, hands, feet, shoulders, and spine.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common chronic articular disease worldwide. It is also the most common form of osteoarthritis (OA) that affects the entire knee joint and is characterized by high morbidity and disability rates. It is ranked as the 10th largest contributor to global years lived with disabilities, and its prevalence has more than doubled in the last 10 years.

The main clinical symptoms of KOA are limb mobility difficulties, pain and swelling around the joint, which is more obvious after morning, and can lead to paralysis in the later stage. Pain is the key symptom of KOA and the main driver for functional disability and negative impact on different aspects of quality of life (QoL), including mobility, participation, mood and sleep. Patients may experience a serious impact on daily activities due to difficulty in walking, moving, climbing stairs, and while sitting on a chair with weakness of the thigh muscles.

Early diagnosis and treatment of knee osteoarthritis is more beneficial and easily managed compared to when it has worsened. The treatment includes nonpharmacological, pharmacological, and surgical modalities. Learning instruction has been recognized as one of the fundamental components for successful management of knee osteoarthritis, that involve teaching of patients regarding regular exercise, weight management, eating a balanced healthy diet, and applying of local cold or warm compress to improve patient knowledge, developing self-management and life skills.

Nurse plays a vital role in teaching and learning process, and providing valuable information for patients with knee osteoarthritis to improve health outcomes through modifying risk factors for disease progression, preventing further loss of function of the affected joints, relieving pain, improving joint function, optimizing daily living activities, and quality of life.

Inclusion criteria

• Male and female patients.
• Age between 20 and 60 years.
• Clinically diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis.
• Able to communicate and follow instructions.

Exclusion criteria

• History of any orthopaedic surgical procedure on the affected knee.
• Presence of any physical disability that may interfere with participation.