Prevalence of Sarcopenia and Its Associated Factors in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Upper Egypt

Chronic inflammation, joint pain, and reduced physical activity in OA patients create a vicious cycle that accelerates muscle mass loss and functional decline. While international data is robust, Egyptian epidemiological data remains limited. Recent studies in Egypt have identified a high risk of sarcopenia among older adults with fragility fractures and a prevalence of 17.7% in nursing home residents. However, targeted data on the OA population in Egypt is still lacking. Current management in Egyptian primary care centers primarily focuses on symptomatic relief of OA through analgesics and physical therapy. Sarcopenia often remains underdiagnosed because routine screening tools, such as the SARC-F questionnaire or Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA), are not yet integrated into standard family medicine protocols. This oversight leads to increased frailty and poorer surgical outcomes for patients requiring joint replacement. In the family medicine practice, identifying sarcopenia early is vital for holistic care. Understanding the local prevalence and risk factors-such as Vitamin D deficiency, sedentary behavior, and low protein intake-is essential to tailor interventions. This research aims to provide the evidentiary basis for incorporating sarcopenia screening into primary care OA management, ultimately improving patient mobility and quality of life