Medical records of patients seen at the Lomé Teaching Hospital rheumatology unit (Togo) were studied retrospectively to determine the frequency and semiological characteristics of osteoarthritis of knee.
Among the 12251 patients seen, 993 (8%, 844 women and 149 men) had osteoarthritis of the knee responding to ACR criteria. Mean age at onset was 51 years and mean duration of osteoarthritis of the knee was four years. The osteoarthritis affected one joint in 470 patients (47%) and two joints in 523 other patients (53%). Mechanic pain (923 patients, 93%) and claudication 251 patients, 25%) were the frequent symptoms. At the knee, the lesions involved the medial femorotibial compartment in 493 patients, the lateral femorotibial compartment in 223 patients, the patellofemoral compartment in 42 patients, and the femorotibial and patellofemoral compartment in 235 patients. 764 of 993 patients (77%) with knee osteoarthritis were obese (femmes: 699, 82.8%) and 729 had varus and/or valgus (73.4%).
This study confirms the high prevalence of osteoarthritis of the knee in black Africa. Female sex, obesity, and varus or valgus deformities are the main risk factors for femorotibial osteoarthritis in black Africa.