Study of 500 patients with limb joint osteoarthritis; I. Analysis by age, sex, and distribution of symptomatic joint sites

Article Abstract:

Osteoarthritis, the most frequent type of arthritis, is related to age and most frequently affects the hip and knee (two important weight-bearing joints) and hand. However, concepts of causes and assessment of osteoarthritis are not well developed. Several factors appear to contribute to occurrence of the disease, including age, inheritance, body weight, and alterations in joint structure and function. To better characterize osteoarthritis, its occurrence in multiple joints of 500 people (342 female) referred to rheumatic specialists were evaluated. Although the group studied was probably not entirely representative of the total population affected by osteoarthritis, since those in the group received special medical referrals, the large number studied still might allow development of valid conclusions. Of 847 abnormal joints, 41 percent were knees, 30 percent were hands, and 19 percent were hips. Roughly half of patients had only one affected joint, and this single-site disease was more common among men and tended to decrease with age, a significant finding. Thirty-six percent of patients had two-site disease, chiefly women affected in the knees and hands. In general, women had shoulder and hand involvement, while men were most frequently affected in the hip and elbow. Obvious causes such as trauma were found in 18 percent of men and 5 percent of women, a lower incidence than suggested by other reports. Hypertension was found in 37 percent of patients, while 50 percent of women and 60 percent of men were overweight. The patients used medications frequently and often depended on functional appliances such as canes. Fewer cases of hip disease were found than expected, possibly because those had been referred for surgery. A significant number of patients had another rheumatic disease, but this was likely an artifact of the referral process. Hip and knee involvement was often associated with obesity or other predisposing cause. Heberden's nodes, enlargement of the outermost finger joints, was associated with multiple-joint disease, excess body weight, and hypertension, suggesting a background predisposition to the disease. The other trends observed indicate that the distribution and occurrence of osteoarthritis is not entirely random. More extensive study of these features are needed. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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Hypermobility

Article Abstract:

Controversy continues about the implications of a condition characterized by overly flexible, or hypermobile, joints. Very little consistent scientific evidence has shown hypermobility to be professionally or recreationally beneficial or has linked hypermobility with other joint or muscle diseases such as osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis. Researchers continue to refine a working definition of the hypermobility syndrome (HMS) and reliable ways to identify patients with this condition. A comprehensive definition for HMS would make scientific comparisons more valuable.

Rheumatic diseases

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Hypermobility associated with osteoarthritis of the thumb base: a clinical and radiological subset of hand osteoarthritis

Article Abstract:

Women with double joints appear to make up a distinct subset of patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA). The double-jointed characteristics of 50 women with hand OA were compared with 90 healthy female volunteers. Thirty-one of the women with OA had two or more double jointed characteristics and 17 had four or more characteristics. This compares with 30 and 9, respectively, of the female volunteers with similar double-jointed characteristics. Most of the patient group who had significant thumb base involvement and milder inter-finger involvement also were double-jointed.

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