Non-operative treatment options for knee osteoarthritis: current concepts
Knee osteoarthritis in younger patients can be a challenging condition to manage. The patient and clinician have a range of non-operative management options available, although the guidance to effectively apply these options is lacking. The following review summarises a range of non-operative treatment options as an accessible reference for primary care providers to establish a coordinated care plan in consultation with the patient as part of a shared decision making process. Options are summarised in non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments. These options are based on the latest guidelines based on authoritative recommendations, as well as recent articles with a good level of evidence that have not yet been incorporated into these official contents. The coordination of treatment using a range of modalities remains poorly explained in the literature and the current review proposes a conceptual model for coordinated care to be provided. In this model, the patient is central to the interaction between the coordinator and specialist providers, and the treatment plan is tailored to provide the optimal pain relief and functional benefit specific to the patient.