title: [Profile of non-traumatic osteoarticular diseases in elderly black Africans: about 157 cases seen in Abidjan].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aging of the world population is a phenomenon that is growing progressively. Specific knowledge of osteoarticular disorders in the elderly in black Africa seems limited.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Describe the epidemiological, clinical and etiological characteristics of non-traumatic osteoarticular disorders in elderly black Africans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective and descriptive study concerning black africans patients aged 60 years and over hospitalized in the department of Rheumatology of hospital center of Cocody (Abidjan) in a period of 7 years from January 2000 to December 2007. Were included, 157 records of black africans patients, suffering from a osteoarticular disorder non traumatic with an accurate diagnosis. A structured questionnaire was used to gather epidemiological, clinical and etiological characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of elders was 5% of all patients seen in the period of study. The average age was 67 years with the predominance of women (59,7%) and sex-ratio was 0,68. Housewives were predominant (40,6%). The reason for hospitalization was a pain from spine (85,8%) dominated by common low back pain (84,4%). Fever (51,9%) and impaired general health (53.4%) were dominant extraarticular signs. The main etiologies were degenerative (50.5%) with a predominance of common low back pain (38.2%), followed by bacterial osteitis and/or bacterial arthritis (20.5%) and malignancies (hematologic malignancies and metastasis of cancer) in 15.9% of cases. Degenerative pathology was significantly observed in females (p=0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non-traumatic osteoarticular diseases in elderly black africans are little frequent in Abidjan and are dominated by degenerative diseases of spine.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diomandé
authors.forename: Edmond
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eti
authors.forename: Boubacar
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ouali
authors.forename: Ehaulier Soh Christain Louis
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Kouakou
authors.forename: Mariane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ouattara Yaconon
authors.forename: Jean Mermoze Djaha
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kouassi
authors.forename: Mariam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gbané-Koné
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kouakou N'zué
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001170:Arthritis, Infectious / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D044383:Black People; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010000:Osteitis / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology / Q000382:microbiology; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires