Incidence of symptomatic hand, hip, and knee osteoarthritis among patients in a health maintenance organization.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify the incidence of symptomatic hand, hip, and knee osteoarthritis (OA) among members of the Fallon Community Health Plan, a health maintenance organization located in central Massachusetts.


METHODS
Incident OA was defined as the first evidence of OA by radiography (grade > or = 2 on the Kellgren-Lawrence scale of 0-4) plus joint symptoms at the time the radiograph was obtained or up to 1 year before the radiograph was obtained.


RESULTS
The age- and sex-standardized incidence rate for hand OA was 100/100,000 person-years (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 86, 115), for hip OA 88/100,000 person-years (95% CI 75, 101), and for knee OA 240/100,000 person-years (95% CI 218, 262). The incidence of hand, hip, and knee OA increased with age, and women had higher rates than men, especially after age 50. A leveling off or decline occurred for both groups around the age of 80.


CONCLUSIONS
In a large study of symptomatic OA we observed incidence rates that increased with age. In women ages 70-89, the incidence of knee OA approached 1% per year.
Oliveria
S A
SA
Strang Cancer Prevention Center, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Felson
D T
DT
Reed
J I
JI
Cirillo
P A
PA
Walker
A M
AM
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005384:Finger Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D011859:Radiography; D017678:Sex Distribution