WOMAC Score Calculator
The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) is a widely used, proprietary questionnaire used to assess the severity of osteoarthritis in the hip or knee. It consists of 24 items across three subscales: Pain, Stiffness, and Physical Function. Each item is scored on a Likert scale from 0 (None) to 4 (Extreme).
Pain Subscale (5 items)
Please rate the severity of your pain in the following activities over the last 48 hours:
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Stiffness Subscale (2 items)
Please rate the severity of your stiffness over the last 48 hours:
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Physical Function Subscale (17 items)
Please rate the difficulty you experience with the following activities over the last 48 hours:
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Understanding the WOMAC Score
The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) is a widely used, disease-specific health status questionnaire for patients with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. It is a self-administered questionnaire that assesses pain, stiffness, and physical function.
Purpose and Use
The WOMAC index is primarily used to evaluate the severity of osteoarthritis symptoms and to monitor changes in a patient's condition over time, such as in response to treatment. It is a valuable tool for both clinical practice and research studies.
How it's Calculated
The WOMAC questionnaire consists of 24 items divided into three subscales:
- Pain (5 items): Assesses pain experienced during various activities like walking, climbing stairs, or at rest. The maximum score for this subscale is 20.
- Stiffness (2 items): Measures the degree of stiffness experienced, typically in the morning or later in the day. The maximum score for this subscale is 8.
- Physical Function (17 items): Evaluates the difficulty in performing daily activities such such as descending stairs, standing, sitting, and performing household duties. The maximum score for this subscale is 68.
Each item is scored on a Likert scale from 0 to 4, where:
- 0 = None
- 1 = Mild
- 2 = Moderate
- 3 = Severe
- 4 = Extreme
The total WOMAC score is the sum of the scores from all 24 items, ranging from 0 to 96. Higher scores indicate more severe symptoms and functional limitations.
Interpreting Your WOMAC Score
The total WOMAC score provides a comprehensive overview of your osteoarthritis symptoms. While specific clinical interpretation should always be done by a healthcare professional, here's a general guide:
- 0: No symptoms of pain, stiffness, or functional limitation.
- 1-20: Suggests mild osteoarthritis symptoms.
- 21-40: Indicates moderate osteoarthritis symptoms.
- 41-60: Points to moderately severe osteoarthritis symptoms.
- 61-96: Suggests severe osteoarthritis symptoms and significant functional impairment.
It's important to consider the individual subscale scores as well, as they can highlight specific areas of concern (e.g., predominantly pain or functional difficulties).
Limitations
While the WOMAC index is a robust tool, it has limitations. It is a subjective measure based on patient self-report and may not capture all aspects of a patient's condition. It should always be used in conjunction with clinical examination and other diagnostic information.
How to Use This Calculator
Simply select the option that best describes your experience for each of the 24 items over the last 48 hours. Once all selections are made, click the "Calculate WOMAC Score" button to see your total score and subscale scores, along with a general interpretation.