Association of Body Mass Index with Kellgren–Lawrence Grading of Knee Osteoarthritis – A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent form of arthritis causing disability, particularly in elderly population. Aging, female sex, obesity, and possibly nutritional deficiencies trigger the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. This study aims to identify the association of body mass index (BMI), with knee osteoarthritis grading viewed from Kellgren–Lawrence (KL) criteria in participants with osteoarthritis of the knee joint.Methods: This research is a cross-sectional study using analytical approach in 70 participants diagnosed with Knee Osteoarthritis at Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda College, Ollur, Thrissur. BMI was calculated by measuring the height and weight of participants. Grading of knee OA based on KL criteria was assessed from the antero-posterior X-ray radiograph.Results: Of 70 participants, 81.4% were female and 31.4% were in the age group of 50–55 years, 27.1% in the age group of 61–65 years. Among the total 70 participants, 45.7% belong to overweight category, 28.6% were obese. Knee OA grading based on KL criteria indicates that the most frequent grade is Grade 2 with 34.3% followed by Grade 3 30%. Spearman rank correlation showed a positive correlation between BMI and degree of joint damage, which was statistically significant at 0.01 level (r = 0.491**, P < 0.001).Conclusion: The higher the BMI value, the heavier the grading of OA of the knee