title: Research in hand osteoarthritis: time for reappraisal and demand for new strategies. An opinion paper.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoarthritis of the hands is a prevalent musculoskeletal disease with a considerable effect on patients' lives, but knowledge and research results in the field of hand osteoarthritis are limited. Therefore, the Disease Characteristics in Hand OA (DICHOA) initiative was founded in early 2005 with the aim of addressing key issues and facilitating research into hand osteoarthritis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To review and discuss current knowledge on hand osteoarthritis with regard to aetiopathogenesis, diagnostic criteria, biomarkers and clinical outcome measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recommendations were made based on a literature review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Outcomes of hand osteoarthritis should be explored, including patient perspective on the separate components of disease activity, damage and functioning. All imaging techniques should be cross-validated for hand osteoarthritis with clinical status, including disease activity, function and performance, biomarkers and long-term outcome. New imaging modalities are available and need scoring systems and validation. The role of biomarkers in hand osteoarthritis has to be defined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future research in hand osteoarthritis is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. g.kloppenburg@lumc.nl
authors.forename: Margreet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kloppenburg
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stamm
authors.forename: Iain
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Watt
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kainberger
authors.forename: Tim E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Cawston
authors.forename: Fraser N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Birrell
authors.forename: Ingemar F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Petersson
authors.forename: Tore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saxne
authors.forename: Tore K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Kvien
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Slatkowsky-Christensen
authors.forename: Maxime
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dougados
authors.forename: Laure
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gossec
authors.forename: Ferdinand C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Breedveld
authors.forename: Josef S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Smolen
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D005384:Finger Joint / Q000473:pathology; D006227:Hand Deformities, Acquired / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D050823:Hand Joints / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D012106:Research; D012307:Risk Factors; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers