Guideline for diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of early-stage knee osteoarthritis (2024 edition)

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is common in middle-aged and elderly populations, with typical symptoms including knee joint pain, deformity, and restricted movement. The concept of early KOA (EKOA) is ambiguous, and clinical diagnosis and treatment are often overlooked. The diagnosis and effective prevention of EKOA can help delay the progression of the disease and reduce the incidence of mid-to-late stage KOA. To standardize the clinical diagnosis and treatment of EKOA, the Osteoarthrosis Committee of Chinese Aging Well Association has initiated the development of non-operative treatment guidelines for EKOA, selecting key clinical issues of concern to clinicians, including the definition, diagnosis, and non-operative treatment and strategies for EKOA. Ultimately, a total of 13 recommendations were formulated with the aim of raising the level and scientificity of EKOA diagnosis and treatment, thereby delaying the progression of EKOA in patients, improving their quality of life, and reducing the societal burden of the disease.

膝骨关节炎（KOA）常见于中老年人群，其典型症状为膝关节疼痛、畸形和活动受限。早期KOA（EKOA）概念模糊，临床诊疗常被忽视。EKOA的诊断和有效防治有助于延缓病情进展，降低中晚期KOA的发生率。为规范EKOA的临床诊疗，中国老年保健协会骨关节分会启动了EKOA非手术诊疗指南的制订工作，遴选出临床医师最为关注的专业问题，包括EKOA的定义、诊断、非手术治疗及策略，最终形成了13条推荐意见，旨在提高EKOA诊疗的水平和科学性，进而延缓EKOA患者病情的进展，提高患者生活质量，减轻社会疾病负担。.