Stiffness, pain, and joint counts in chronic chikungunya disease: relevance to disability and quality of life

Introduction/Objectives: To characterize the importance of musculoskeletal stiffness in a cohort of chikungunya patients with chronic joint symptoms. Method: Eighty-two patients were followed up 3 years after chikungunya infection. Tender and swollen joint counts, a pain intensity scale, Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), and the EuroQol EQ-5D quality of life instrument were completed. A musculoskeletal stiffness questionnaire provided scores for overall stiffness and its components: stiffness severity, physical impact, and psychosocial impact. Results: Patients had a mean age 51 ± 14 years. Sixty-seven patients were still experiencing chronic arthralgia. Musculoskeletal stiffness was reported by 43/67 patients with arthralgia and 3/15 patients without arthralgia. A physical impact of stiffness was reported by 87% patients and psychosocial impact by 71% patients. Mean tender joint count in patients reporting arthralgia was 6 ± 7, mean pain intensity 65 ± 20 out of 100, mean HAQ-DI was 0.54 ± 0.52, and mean EQ-VAS global health perception was 68 ± 62 out of 100. Stiffness severity was correlated with tender joint counts (ρ = 0.46) and pain intensity (ρ = 0.40). All three measures were equally well correlated with the EuroQol-VAS global health perception. Pain and tender joints were better correlated with the HAQ-DI (ρ = 0.68 and ρ = 0.63), but stiffness was more strongly correlated with several quality of life domains, including mobility. Swollen joints were a poor predictor of outcomes. Conclusions: Musculoskeletal stiffness following chikungunya infection is distinct from arthralgia. It does not always occur in the same patients or with a corresponding intensity. Joint pain and stiffness may be independently associated with disability and quality of life assessments.

• Autores: Watson, Hugh; Tritsch, Sarah R.; Encinales, Liliana; Cadena, Andres; Cure, Carlos; Porras-Ramírez, Alexandra; Rico Mendoza, Alejandro; Chang, Aileen Yu Hen
• Fecha de publicación: 2020
• Institución: Universidad El Bosque
• Repositorio: Repositorio U. El Bosque
• Idioma: eng
• OAI Identifier: oai:repositorio.unbosque.edu.co:20.500.12495/2013
• Acceso en línea: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12495/2013; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-019-04919-1
• Palabra clave: Rigidez muscular; Fiebre chikungunya; Dimensión del dolor; Activities of daily living; Health assessment questionnaire; Outcomes
• License: Acceso cerrado