Abstract:
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of bones wears down overtime. Although Osteoarthritis can damage any joint in our body, the disorder most commonly affects joints in Knees. The Knee is one of the joints most commonly affected by osteoarthritis and most often in people 50years of age and older, but may occur in younger people too. The worldwide prevalence estimate for symptomatic osteoarthritis is 9.6% among men and 18% among women. Causes of knee osteoarthritis is previous joint injury, abnormal joint or limb development, inherited factors, overweight and have jobs that result in high levels of joint stress. The most common symptoms are joint pain, stiffness, joint swelling, and decreased range of motion. This study was done with the objectives- To estimate the prevalence of Knee Osteoarthritis in women of Rural and Urban parts of Jaffna and to clarify the correlates of Knee Osteoarthritis in women of Rural and Urban parts of Jaffna. The study was conducted in the rural and urban areas of district Jaffna between June to August 2017. The study included 100 females of rural and urban areas and the data was collected by researchers through a self-administered questionnaire. Here the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis found to be 29% in district of Jaffna. Knee Osteoarthritis prevalence in urban area was higher (42%) than rural area (16%). The knee osteoarthritis remarkably connects with increasing body mass index, age and menopause. This study was also notably together with occupation, nutritional level, and family history.
