Physiotherapy is a widely recommended conservative management approach. Studies of prognosis in knee OA have focused on demographic and psychological variable, few studies have focused on factors relating to abnormal pain processing. No longitudinal studies have explored prognostic factors relating to pain sensitization and outcome following physiotherapy. In whiplash associated disorders the presence of sensory hypersensitivity and cold hyperalgesia has been shown to reduce the likelihood of a positive response to physiotherapy treatment. Thus it is conceivable, but currently unproven, that knee OA patients with evidence of pain sensitization have poorer outcomes following physiotherapy.