title: Hand, hip and knee osteoarthritis in a Norwegian population-based study--the MUST protocol.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Knowledge about the prevalence and consequences of osteoarthritis (OA) in the Norwegian population is limited. This study has been designed to gain a greater understanding of musculoskeletal pain in the general population with a focus on clinically and radiologically confirmed OA, as well as risk factors, consequences, and management of OA.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Musculoskeletal pain in Ullensaker STudy (MUST) has been designed as an observational study comprising a population-based postal survey and a comprehensive clinical examination of a sub-sample with self-reported OA (MUST OA cohort). All inhabitants in Ullensaker municipality, Norway, aged 40 to 79 years receive the initial population-based postal survey questionnaire with questions about life style, general health, musculoskeletal pain, self-reported OA, comorbidities, health care utilisation, medication use, and functional ability. Participants who self-report OA in their hip, knee and/or hand joints are asked to attend a comprehensive clinical examination at Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, including a comprehensive medical examination, performance-based functional tests, different imaging modalities, cardiovascular assessment, blood and urine samples, and a number of patient-reported questionnaires including five OA disease specific instruments. Data will be merged with six national data registries. A subsample of those who receive the questionnaire has previously participated in postal surveys conducted in 1990, 1994, and 2004 with data on musculoskeletal pain and functional ability in addition to demographic characteristics and a number of health related factors. This subsample constitutes a population based cohort with 20 years follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This protocol describes the design of an observational population-based study that will involve the collection of data from a postal survey on musculoskeletal pain, and a comprehensive clinical examination on those with self-reported hand, hip and/or knee OA. These data, in addition to data from national registries, will provide unique insights into clinically and radiologically confirmed OA with respect to risk factors, consequences, and management.
authors.affiliation: National Resource, Center for rehabilitation in Rheumatology, Department of Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway. nina.osteras@medisin.uio.no
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Østerås
authors.forename: May Arna
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Risberg
authors.forename: Tore K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Kvien
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Engebretsen
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nordsletten
authors.forename: Dag
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bruusgaard
authors.forename: Unni-Berit
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Schjervheim
authors.forename: Ida K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Haugen
authors.forename: Hilde Berner
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.forename: Sella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Provan
authors.forename: Britt Elin
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Øiestad
authors.forename: Anne Grete
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Semb
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rollefstad
authors.forename: Kåre Birger
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uhlig
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Slatkowsky-Christensen
authors.forename: Ingvild
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kjeken
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Flugsrud
authors.forename: Margreth
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grotle
authors.forename: Sølve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sesseng
authors.forename: Hanne
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Edvardsen
authors.forename: Bård
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Natvig
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005260:Female; D050823:Hand Joints / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D011177:Postal Service; D015995:Prevalence; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires