title: Lower-extremity osteoarthritis and the risk of falls in a community-based longitudinal study of adults with and without osteoarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) are known risk factors for falls, but whether they together additionally contribute to falls risk is unknown. This study utilizes a biracial cohort of men and women to examine the influence of lower-extremity OA burden on the risk for future falls.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal analysis was performed using data from 2 time points of a large cohort. The outcome of interest was falls at followup. Covariates included age, sex, race, body mass index, a history of prior falls, symptomatic OA of the hip and/or knee, a history of neurologic or pulmonary diseases, and current use of narcotic medications. Symptomatic OA was defined as patient-reported symptoms and radiographic evidence of OA in the same joint. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine associations between covariates and falls at followup.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The odds of falling increased with an increasing number of lower-extremity symptomatic OA joints: those with 1 joint had 53% higher odds, those with 2 joints had 74% higher odds, and those with 3-4 OA joints had 85% higher odds. When controlling for covariates, patients who had symptomatic knee or hip OA had an increased likelihood of falling (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.39, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.02-1.88 and aOR 1.60, 95% CI 1.14-2.24, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study reveals the risk for falls increases with additional symptomatic OA lower-extremity joints and confirms that symptomatic hip and knee OA are important risk factors for falls.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Adam L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Doré
authors.forename: Yvonne M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Golightly
authors.forename: Vicki S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Mercer
authors.forename: Xiaoyan A
authors.initials: XA
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Jordan B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Renner
authors.forename: Joanne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Amanda E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D044465:White People