WHAT SHOULD BE THE INTERDISCIPLINARY INTERACTION AND APPROACH TO PATIENTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS?

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common musculoskeletal disorder worldwide. Multidisciplinary approach to OA management according to patients' needs is of great importance and effectiveness. In the light of present evidence, multidisciplinary groups of experts in the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder representing different disciplines established recommendations/guidelines for achieving the best clinical application. The OA treatment plan should be created taking into consideration the risk factors (i.e. age, sex, comorbidity and polypharmacy), location/degree of the structural damage, pain intensity, and patient expectations. The first step of the treatment should consist of patient education about the disease and weight loss in overweight cases. Implementing a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments is the consensus point of the multidisciplinary expert groups for recommendations designed to reduce joint pain/stiffness, improve/maintain joint mobility, prevent joint damage, improve quality of life, and to avoid physical disability and handicap. Surgery is suggested for OA patients who do not benefit from individualized combined treatments. An increasing number of studies on autologous cartilage transplantation in early-stage OA are being conducted. In future, gene therapy and tissue engineering will gain importance by better understanding of the genes influencing OA