title: Relation between phalangeal bone mineral density and radiographic knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Major reports have suggested that bone mineral density (BMD) is higher in patients with osteoarthritis (OA), while other studies do not agree. Our aim was to examine the cross-sectional association between phalangeal BMD and radiographic knee OA.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2855 participants were included in this study. Radiographic knee OA was defined as Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) Grade ≥ 2 in at least one leg. BMD scans of the middle phalanges of the second, third and fourth digits of the nondominant hand were performed with a compact radiographic absorptiometry system (Alara MetriScan®). A multivariable logistic analysis model was applied to test the relation between phalangeal BMD with radiographic knee OA, the presence of knee osteophytes (OSTs), and knee joint space narrowing (JSN) after adjusting for a number of potential confounding factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The multivariable-adjusted odds ratios with 95 % confidence intervals [ORs (95 % CI)] of radiographic knee OA across phalangeal BMDs were 1.08 (95 % CI 0.89-1.32) and 0.62 (95 % CI 0.45-0.86), respectively. The P for trend was 0.09. For the female population, the multivariable-adjusted ORs (95 % CI) of radiographic knee OA across phalangeal BMD were 1.01 (95 % CI 0.73-1.37) and 0.58 (95 % CI 0.38 - 0.87), respectively. The P for trend was 0.02. This positive finding, however, did not exist in the male subgroup. There was a significantly lower prevalence of OST in the osteoporosis (OP) group than in the normal group (OR = 0.59, 95 % CI 0.40-0.88; P for trend was 0.01). In contrast, the prevalence of JSN was significantly higher in the osteopenia group (OR = 1.22, 95 % CI 1.00-1.48) and the OP group (OR = 1.35, 95 % CI 1.00-1.84) than in the normal group. The P for trend was 0.02.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study observed lower odds for the presence of radiographic knee OA and OST in OP patients than in normal subjects. The prevalence of JSN was higher in the osteopenia and OP groups than in normal subjects.
authors: Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No.87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410008, China. dengzhenhan@csu.edu.cn.
authors: Zhen-Han
authors: ZH
authors: Deng
authors: Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No.87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410008, China. 125562108@qq.com.
authors: Chao
authors: C
authors: Zeng
authors: Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No.87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410008, China. 33139641@qq.com.
authors: Yu-Sheng
authors: YS
authors: Li
authors: Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No.87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410008, China. 693673464@qq.com.
authors: Tuo
authors: T
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No.87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410008, China. 397969391@qq.com.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Li
authors: Health Management Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410008, China. 394345006@qq.com.|Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410008, China. 394345006@qq.com.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Wei
authors: Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No.87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410008, China. lgh9640@sina.cn.
authors: Guang-Hua
authors: GH
authors: Lei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D050278:Finger Phalanges / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011859:Radiography