Knee osteoarthritis: diagnosis and stage-based management from conservative care to arthroplasty
Keywords:
knee osteoarthritis, imaging diagnosis, stage-based management, hyaluronic acid, platelet-rich plasma, total knee arthroplastyAbstract
Objectives: To present a comprehensive, stage-based practical approach to knee osteoarthritis (OA) — from early recognition, non-pharmacological treatment, pharmacotherapy, and intra-articular injections, to cartilage restoration techniques and joint replacement surgery — organized around the principle that earlier diagnosis enables more effective treatment. Scope: This narrative review draws on systematic reviews, network meta-analyses, practice guidelines and mechanistic studies indexed in PubMed (2003–2025), set against the author's clinical experience in musculoskeletal and sports medicine, including a large body of staged knee ultrasound imaging. Conclusion: Effective knee OA management is not about finding a single best measure, but about appropriately sequencing and combining these intervention groups, tailored to the disease stage and individual patient characteristics.
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