Background and Aims : A subset of people with knee OA show a predominance of centrally mediated pain which may adversely effect treatment outcomes. Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) used to investigate pain sensitization may not be easily translated to the clinical setting. This study aimed to investigate differences in QST and self-report measures of in OA of the knee as measured by the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI). 
Methods: 134 people with OA of the knee were assessed for pain sensitization using (i) QSTs of pressure pain thresholds (PPT), temporal summation (TS) cold hyperalgesia (CH) conditioned pain modulation (CPM) vibration and mechanical detection thresholds (VDT) (MDT) and (ii) self-report pain measures using PainDETECT, WOMAC Pain, numerical rating scale (NRS) and CSI.Participants were dichotomized into groups with high CSI (≥40) and low CSI scores (< 40). 
Results: The results showed (i) significantly lower PPTs and enhanced TS in the high (n=40) versus low (n=94) CSI groups (p< 0.026-0.001). The high CSI group demonstrated a less efficient CPM (p< 0.001), increased cold hyperalgesia (P< 0.038), less sensitive MDT (p< 0.05) and no significant differences in VDT.  (ii) The high CSI group showed significantly increased PainDETECT, NRS and WOMAC Pain scores (p< 0.01). 
Conclusion: The group with high centrally mediated pain symptoms (high CSI) demonstrated different sensory profile and enhanced self-report measures of pain compared to those with low CSI. The CSI may have utility for clinicians to identify sub-groups of people with knee OA who show features of centrally mediated pain and aid in the selection of targeted interventions.

QUANTITATIVE MEASURES OF PAIN SENSITIZATION ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SELF-REPORT CENTRALLY MEDIATED PAIN AS MEASURED BY THE CENTRAL SENSITIZATION INVENTORY IN OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE