ABSTRACT
Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, degenerative, inflammatory
musculoskeletal dysfunction. It is associated with pain, reduced functional
capacity and deficient quality of life. Fatigue is a frequent complaint in patients
with arthritis, which correlate to tiredness. Purpose of the study: This study
aimed to assess fatigue in knee osteoarthritic patients and to correlate it to
quality-of-life indexes and functional disability. Subjects and Methods: This
cross-sectional study was performed on 200patients of both sex with ages
ranged from 50 to 65 years old and medical diagnoses of knee osteoarthritis
either grade II or grade III. The participants were selected according to the
demographic survey including information on their age, gender, educational
level, height, weight, BMI, disease duration. Fatigue was measured by Arabic
version of fatigue severity scale; quality of life was measured by Arabic version
of SF36 questionnaire and function disability was measured by Arabic version
of The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index
(WOMAC). Results: 200 patients were included in the study. Grade II group < br />consisted of 39 patients (3 male and 36female), grade III consisted of 161
patients (31 male and 131female). The results indicated that there was
significant difference in the fatigue severity scale between both groups with (Uvalue=
2019, Z-value= -3.458, p = 0.001*), this significant increase in grade III
group in compared to grade II group. There was a positive weak correlation
between fatigue severity scale and WOMAC (p=0.0001*). And There was a
negative weak correlation between fatigue and pain domain of SF36
questionnaire (p=0.0001*) and there was a negative weak correlation between
fatigue severity scale and fatigue domain of SF36 questionnaire (p=0.002*).
Conclusion: On the basis of this study, it could be concluded that there is an
association between fatigue and both disability and quality of life in patients
with knee osteoarthritis.