Four Pain Susceptibility Phenotypes Identified in Knee Osteoarthritis

Four pain susceptibility phenotypes were identified in patients who had or were at risk for knee osteoarthritis, as well as risk factors for the development of persistent knee pain, in a study published in Arthritis Rheumatology.

A total of 852 patients (mean age, 67 y) who were free of persistent knee pain but had, or were at risk for, knee osteoarthritis were enrolled in this study. The investigators used a latent class analysis to identify pain susceptibility phenotypes, including widespread pain, poor sleep, psychologic factors, and quantitative sensory tests, which may be associated with the development of persistent knee pain.

Four pain susceptibility phenotypes were identified based on the level of pressure pain sensitivity (ie, absent or low, moderate, or high) and on facilitation of pressure pain temporal summation. The risk for developing persistent knee pain over a 2-year period was found to be 2-fold higher in individuals with high pressure pain sensitivity and moderate facilitation of pressure pain temporal summation vs in those with low levels of sensitization (odds ratio, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.06-4.22).

“Understanding the mechanisms that contribute to pain susceptibility and identifying prognostic phenotypes is an important step toward the goal of phenotypic, mechanism-based management of pain,” the researchers concluded.

follow @RheumAdvisor

Reference

Carlesso LC, Segal NA, Frey-Law L, et al. Pain susceptibility phenotypes in those free of knee pain with or at risk of knee osteoarthritis: the multicenter osteoarthritis study [published online October 11, 2018]. Arthritis Rheumatol. doi: 10.1002/art.40752