title: Translation of clinical problems in osteoarthritis into pathophysiological research goals.
abstract: Osteoarthritis (OA) accounts for more disability among the elderly than any other disease and is associated with an increased mortality rate. The prevalence in Europe will rise in the future since this continent has a strongly ageing population and an obesity epidemic; obesity and age both being major risk factors for OA. No adequate therapeutic options, besides joint replacement, are available, although they are greatly needed and should be acquired by adequate research investments. However, the perspective on OA from a researcher's point of view is not always aligned with the perspective of a patient with OA. Researchers base their views on OA mainly on abnormalities in structure and function while patients consider OA as a collection of symptoms. In this viewpoint paper, we discuss the possibility of translating the most important clinical problems into pathophysiological research goals to facilitate the translation from bench to bedside and vice versa. This viewpoint is the outcome of a dialogue within the 'European League Against Rheumatism study group on OA' and People with Arthritis/Rheumatism across Europe (PARE) representatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Rheumatology , Radboud University Medical Center , Nijmegen , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2262-3802
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: van der Kraan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Pierre and Marie Curie Paris VI , INSERM UMR-S938, Saint-Antoine Hospital , Paris , France.
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berenbaum
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Division , Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de A Coruña (INIBIC), Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña (CHUAC), Sergas, Universidade da Coruña (UDC) , A Coruña , España.
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.affiliation: Musculoskeletal Research Programme, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill , Aberdeen , UK.
authors.forename: de Bari
authors.initials: de B
authors.lastname: Cosimo
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology , University Medical Centre Utrecht , Utrecht , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Floris
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lafeber
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, The Section for Rheumatology, Aarhus , Denmark.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hauge
authors.affiliation: EULAR PARE Patient Research Partner and Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme, UK.
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Higginbottom
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology , Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Andreea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ioan-Facsinay
authors.affiliation: Musculoskeletal Research Group , Newcastle University, Institute of Cellular Medicine, The Medical School , Newcastle upon Tyne , UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Loughlin
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Epidemiology , LUMC , Leiden , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Meulenbelt
authors.affiliation: The Immunopharmacology Research Group , University of Tampere School of Medicine and Tampere University Hospital , Tampere , Finland.
authors.forename: Eeva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moilanen
authors.affiliation: EULAR PARE Patient Research Partner , Nicosia , Cyprus.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pitsillidou
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology , University of Thessaly, School of Medicine , Larissa , Greece.
authors.forename: Aspasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsezou
authors.affiliation: Genetic Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine , Erasmus MC , Rotterdam , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joyce
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: van Meurs
authors.affiliation: ARUK Centre for OA Pathogenesis, University of Oxford , Oxford , UK.
authors.forename: Tonia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology , University Hospital Ghent , Ghent , Belgium.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wittoek
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Tissue Homeostasis and Disease, Department of Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven and Division of Rheumatology , Skeletal Biology and Engineering Research Center, University Hospitals Leuven , Leuven , Belgium.
authors.forename: Rik
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lories
keywords: Osteoarthritis; Patient perspective; Qualitative research; Synovitis