title: Genetic epidemiology of osteoarthritis:  recent developments and future directions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the high prevalence of osteoarthritis and its enormous public health impact, the cause of the disease remains largely obscure. The identification of genes associated with osteoarthritis can help reveal underlying biological mechanisms that may lead to development of new therapeutic targets or biomarkers for early detection and risk stratification. The goal of this short review is to provide a brief overview of the current status of genetics of osteoarthritis with an emphasis on developments generated in the last year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This review focuses on the following areas: identification of new genes through genetic association studies, including genome-wide association studies; family-based studies and extreme osteoarthritis phenotypes; endophenotypes and pain; and overlap of osteoarthritis with other age-related disorders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although recent genetic discoveries have produced innovative findings with respect to the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis, we have yet to realize new treatments to improve the quality of life of patients with osteoarthritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, USA. mhochber@umaryland.edu
authors.forename: Marc C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hochberg
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yerges-Armstrong
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yau
authors.forename: Braxton D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D018771:Arthralgia / Q000235:genetics; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015519:Bone Density / Q000235:genetics; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D006801:Humans; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012307:Risk Factors