People with hemophilia tend to experience ankle/knee pain and lower extremity functional impairment that impact life quality, researchers concluded after conducting a study involving 381 individuals. Participants were a median of 34 years of age with hemophilia and a history of joint pain/bleeding. Investigators evaluated joint health using 5 types of patient-reported outcome assessments. Among the results:

• ~Half of patients reported having a joint procedure or surgery.
• 6 in every 10 reported mobility issues.
• 53% were able to conduct usual activities.
• ~Three-fourths experienced pain/discomfort.
• On Brief Pain Inventory v2 Short Form, median worst pain was 6 (out of 10), least pain 1, average pain 3, and current pain 2.
• Most painful joints were ankles (37%), knees (24%), and elbows (19%).
• In a physical activity questionnaire, ~half reported no activity in the prior week.
• A health survey revealed worse scores for physical vs mental health.
• Among Hemophilia Activities List domains, functions of the legs and lying/sitting/kneeling/standing were most impacted.