Rheumatology
The Oxford Knee Score (OKS) is a 12-item patient-reported questionnaire designed to measure pain and function in individuals undergoing treatment for a knee condition, particularly around knee replacement surgery. Modern scoring ranges from 0 to 48, with a higher score indicating a better outcome.
Number of questions
12 items
Approximate duration
3 to 5 minutes
Population
Adults with knee conditions, particularly related to total knee replacement
Modality
self-administered questionnaire
Terms of contract
Self-administered questionnaire completed by the patient for the affected knee, referring to the last 4 weeks, with only one answer per question; if two answers are given, the most severe is retained. If one or two answers are missing despite follow-up, they can be replaced by the mean of the others; beyond that, the score is not calculated. Any imputation of one or two missing answers occurs only during analysis, after an attempt to complete them, and must be reported. No silent imputation during data entry; more than two missing answers prevents overall calculation.
Score interpretationOK
Each item is scored from 0 to 4 and then added up: a score from 0 (worst condition) to 48 (best condition) in the modern system.
Total score
First reading
No category: continuous and longitudinal measurement, 48 is the best result.
Use the score as a continuous and longitudinal measure. Avoid automatically turning a score into an operative indication: the surgical decision depends on the overall situation.
Frequently asked questions
Does the OKS determine whether you need a knee replacement?
The higher the score, the more serious the situation?
What are its limitations?
Sources and references
Oxford University Innovation
Oxford University Innovation — Oxford Knee Score
In practice
Full name
Oxford Knee Score
Method
self-administered questionnaire
Language
French (validated version)
Authors
Oxford University Innovation
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