Osteoarthritis of the hand in nonhuman primates: a clinical, radiographic, and skeletal survey of Cayo Santiago rhesus macaques.
We describe the relative prevalence and pattern of distribution of osteoarthritis (OA) in the hands of elderly (> 15 years) rhesus macaques using clinical, radiographic, and skeletal examinations. In the clinical study the prevalence of nodes was 72% and 16% in the distal inter-phalangeal joints (DIPJ) and proximal inter-phalangeal joints (PIPJ), respectively, 31% of all monkeys had polyarticular nodes. Radiographic OA was present in 55%, 9.1%, and 0% of the DIPJs, PIPJs, and thumb base, respectively. Skeletal OA as defined by joint surface eburnation for the DIPJ, PIPJ, and thumb base were 16%, 8%, and 2%, respectively. A similar pattern of hand OA with humans is described except for the thumb base OA. This may be due to the relatively rudimentary manipulative role of the macaque thumb. The finding of polyarticular nodal OA raises the possibility of a common pathogenensis for IPJ OA amongst primates.
University of Bristol, Department of Medicine, U.K.
K K
KK
Lim
M J
MJ
Kessler
K P
KP
Pritzker
J E
JE
Turnquist
P A
PA
Dieppe
D000818:Animals; D001175:Arthrography; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D018419:Primate Diseases; D011647:Puerto Rico