Clinico-Laboratory Correlates of Inflammatory Markers in Elderly Knee Osteoarthritis

Introduction: Osteoarthritis (OA) remains one of the most frequent causes of chronic pain and disability in older adults. Although traditionally described as a degenerative condition, clinical experience increasingly suggests that inflammatory activity may modulate symptom severity and structural damage. This study was undertaken to examine how routinely measured inflammatory markers relate to clinical status and radiological severity in elderly patients with OA. Material and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 134 patients aged 60 years or older with clinically and radiologically confirmed OA of the knee and/or hip. Pain severity was assessed using the visual analog scale, while functional impairment was evaluated with the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities OA Index. Radiographic severity was graded according to the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) classification. Laboratory assessment included measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Statistical analyses were performed to explore associations between inflammatory markers and clinical as well as radiological parameters. Results: The study cohort was predominantly female, and knee involvement was more frequent than hip disease. Most participants fell within the mild to moderate range of radiological severity. Both ESR and CRP levels increased progressively with higher K-L grades. Differences in inflammatory marker levels across radiological grades were statistically significant. Correlation analysis demonstrated positive associations between inflammatory markers and pain scores, functional limitation, and radiographic severity, indicating that higher inflammatory activity was accompanied by worse clinical and structural disease. Conclusion: In elderly patients with OA, ESR and CRP show meaningful correlations with pain intensity, functional impairment, and radiological grading. These findings support the presence of a low-grade systemic inflammatory component that parallels disease severity and may influence clinical expression.