Knee OA: time to break the scan habit
A new Australian report highlights a significant surge in unnecessary knee imaging, despite clinical guidelines advising against routine scans for osteoarthritis. Experts suggest that GPs should rely on clinical assessments rather than imaging to avoid over-medicalization and potential surgical risks.
Why it matters
Reducing unnecessary medical imaging lowers healthcare costs and prevents patients from undergoing potentially harmful or avoidable surgical interventions.
A new national report reveals a surge in knee imaging, but experts say GPs already have the skills to diagnose osteoarthritis without sending patients for potentially unhelpful investigations.
The use of knee CT scans in Australia have surged by 83% in just five years, despite longstanding clinical guidelines advising against routine imaging to diagnose knee osteoarthritis.
The dramatic increase, revealed in a new report from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care out today, has raised concerns that unnecessary scans are sending patients down a pathway of further investigations, specialist referrals, and potentially avoidable surgery.
The Atlas Focus Report: Osteoarthritis of the Knee also revealed a 26% increase in knee ultrasounds among Australians aged 45 years and over in the five years to 2023-24, with GPs responsible for more than 90% of ultrasound requests.
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