Non-operative management of lower limb osteoarthritis: are we following current guidelines?

Abstract

Patients attending for primary total hip or knee arthroplasty underwent review of their non-operative management prior to surgery. We found that for a majority of patients non-operative options for management and symptom control were not fully exploited and explored, before patients came for surgery. We suggest that there may be a need for more thorough use of non-operative measures, prior to primary lower limb arthroplasty, at least to improve patients quality of life while awaiting their definitive surgery.

Key Words::

• guidelines
• osteoarthritis
• knee
• hip