Does knee joint arthropathy exist post-COVID-19 in the long term? A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Pain and inflammation in the joints of the lower limbs have been reported in people infected with COVID-19. The primary aim of this study was to investigate knee joint arthropathy after COVID-19 for one year or more, and the secondary objective was to assess the level of functional activities after the recovery of COVID.METHODS: Three hundred ninety-nine people who had recovered from COVID-19 for more than one year and were more than 18 years old participated in this cross-sectional study. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) was used online to assess pain, joint stiffness, and physical function. A 5-point Likert Scale and an unpaired t-test were used to measure percentages and differences between domains of the WOMAC.RESULTS: Most of the participants showed a significant increase in knee pain, stiffness, and difficulty with physical function (P<0.001) after recovery from COVID-19, with a total WOMAC score of 96.CONCLUSIONS: After recovery from COVID-19, knee arthropathy is a common symptom in addition to physical function impairment.