Prevalence of large-joint osteoarthritis in Asian and Caucasian skeletal populations.
OBJECTIVE
To determine ethnic variations of large-joint osteoarthritis (OA) in past populations.


METHODS
One thousand two hundred and nine adult skeletons, excavated from archaeological sites in Japan, China and France were assessed for OA as defined by the presence of eburnation.


RESULTS
Within Asian skeletal populations, elbow OA and patellofemoral joint OA were more common in hunter-gatherers than in agriculturalists. Compared with Caucasians, the Asian skeletal population had a higher prevalence of tibiofemoral joint OA.


CONCLUSIONS
The relative frequencies of OA within and between ethnic groups at certain joint sites have changed over time from the past to the present.
Inoue
K
K
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan.
Hukuda
S
S
Fardellon
P
P
Yang
Z Q
ZQ
Nakai
M
M
Katayama
K
K
Ushiyama
T
T
Saruhashi
Y
Y
Huang
J
J
Mayeda
A
A
Catteddu
I
I
Obry
C
C
D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000266:history*; D010164:Paleopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012863:Skeleton; D044465:White People