title: Prevalence of hand x-ray abnormalities in female patients with osteoarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was to determine the patho-anatomical features of oseoarthritis by means of hand radiographs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individual hand joint radiographs of 38 female patients (33 bilateral, 5 unilateral, aged 50-80 years) were utilized for grade, incidence and localization of osteophytes, joint space narrowing, subchondral sclerosis and erosion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our findings revealed that the most frequent osteophytes were in the distal interphalangeal of ring (38%), the least frequent ones in the proximal interphalangeal of little (1%). In addition, the joint space narrowing was most frequent found in the distal interphalangeal of little (93%), the least frequently in the metacarpophalangeal of ring (25%). Subchondral sclerosis was most frequently seen in the distal interphalangeal of index (70%), the least in the metacarpophalangeal of little 35%). Erosion was most prevalent in the distal interphalangeal of index (65%), and least in the metacarpophalangeal of thumb (1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study was carried out to determine the radiographic characteristics of osteoarthritis by means of hand radiographs.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, Cukurova University, 01330 Balcali-Adana, Turkey. gbozkir@mail.cu.edu.tr
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bozkir
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oguz
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boyan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D011859:Radiography; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology