Is the Treatment Gap in Knee Osteoarthritis Real? A Qualitative Study of Surgeons' Perceptions

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic condition characterized by loss of joint cartilage that leads to persistent pain, loss of function, and disability. It has been reported that a treatment gap exists in a subset of knee OA patients who are unresponsive to conservative treatment yet are unsuitable for or unwilling to undergo more invasive, irreversible, surgical procedures. METHODS: Ten orthopedic healthcare professionals …