title: The epidemiology of osteoarthritis of the hand.
abstract: The hand is a common site of osteoarthritis. Defining hand OA, particularly for epidemiological studies, has undergone reassessment and revision over the last few years. Although many studies to date have used a system of grading radiographic severity that was developed by Kellgren and Lawrence, there are significant problems with this system. In this paper we consider a number of alternative methods for grading hand OA including a scale which grades the individual joint features separately. Patterns of hand OA as well as the natural history and risk factors are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Cicuttini
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Spector
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics