Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a degenerative joint disease that leads to pain, stiffness, and disability. While established risk factors such as age, obesity, and joint injury are well-documented, the role of cultural practices remains underexplored. This study investigates the association between traditional cultural practices and KOA prevalence in Central Asia. A case-control study was conducted between January and March 2025 in Turkestan, Kazakhstan, involving 337 KOA cases and 685 matched controls. Participants completed structured questionnaires assessing demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, and cultural practices. Unconditional logistic regression analyses identified associations between cultural factors and KOA, adjusting for age, sex, BMI, education level, physical workload, and type of residence. Frequent floor sitting (OR = 4.25, 95% CI: 3.02-5.99), squat toilet use (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.66-3.23), and rural residence (OR = 7.57, 95% CI: 4.99-11.48) were strongly associated with KOA. Daily prayer postures did not significantly differ between cases and controls. Traditional cultural practices involving prolonged knee flexion were associated with KOA. Public health initiatives should consider culturally appropriate strategies that may help mitigate knee strain. Further longitudinal research is needed to establish causality.

Knee Osteoarthritis (KOA) represents a serious public health problem because of its high prevalence and associated economic and social problems. The main goal of KOA treatment is to relieve symptoms, improve joint function and enhance the patient's quality of life. Methods.A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed as the primary database. The search strategy included keywords such as ‘knee osteoarthritis’, ‘treatment’, ‘pharmacological treatment’, ‘non-pharmacological treatment’ and ‘injection therapy’. The search was limited to articles published between 2019 and 2024, with a focus on high-quality studies including randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Articles were filtered for relevance, methodological quality and full text availability. Results.Pharmacological treatments for KOA include NSAIDs, COX-2 inhibitors, and acetaminophen, which provide short-term pain relief but may have long-term side effects. Non-pharmacological approaches such as physiotherapy, exercise, and weight management are critical to improving joint function and reducing pain. Injectable therapies, including hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma (PRP), offer promising benefits, although further research is needed to confirm their long-term efficacy. Surgical interventions discussed in this article are limited to minimally invasive options, specifically arthroscopy, which is considered for severe cases when conservative reatment proves ineffective. Open surgeries, such as arthrotomy and joint replacement, were not within the scope of this review.Conclusions.Effective treatment of КОАrequires a comprehensive approach combining pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments with advanced therapeutic options. While traditional therapies remain fundamental, new treatments and surgical options continue to evolve, highlighting the need for ongoing research to optimise treatment strategies and improve patient outcomes.Keywords: Knee osteoarthritis, management of knee osteoarthritis, pharm intervention, non-pharm intervention, physical therapy, hyaluronic acidinjections, platelet-rich plasmatherapy, total joint replacement.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent condition associated with pain and reduced physical function worldwide, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) is one of the most commonly used disease-specific patient-reported outcome measures. Its use in non-English-speaking populations requires appropriate translation and validation, and no validated Kazakh version has previously been available. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Kazakh version of the WOMAC in patients with KOA. A cross-sectional validation study was conducted among 452 patients with clinically diagnosed KOA and 126 healthy individuals, following established international guidelines. The study assessed internal consistency, test–retest reliability, construct validity, content validity, convergent validity, known-groups validity, and floor and ceiling effects. The Kazakh WOMAC demonstrated acceptable to high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.77–0.88) and good test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.78–0.83). Content validity was excellent (S-CVI/Ave = 0.96), and confirmatory factor analysis supported the original three-factor structure. Expected correlations with SF-36 domains confirmed convergent validity, and WOMAC scores differentiated patients with KOA from healthy individuals, with no relevant floor or ceiling effects observed. The Kazakh version of the WOMAC is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing pain, stiffness, and physical function in Kazakh-speaking patients with KOA.