To date, most epidemiologic studies of osteoarthritis (OA) have targeted radiographic OA, and majority of them have concentrated on lmee and hip joints. The National Arthritis Data Workgroup stated recently that the prevalence of symptomatic hand OA (radio graphic changes of OA plus symptoms) has not been systematically studied in the U.S. As a result, little is known about descriptive epidemiology of symptomatic hand OA among the U.S. population. The overall objective of this Development and Feasibility project is to describe the prevalence of symptomatic hand OA, the pattern of joint involvement, and its relation to limitation in performing several daily activities in a population-based sample, the Framingham OA Study. We will analyze the data collected from 2,878 subjects from either Framingham Original Cohort or Framingham Offspring Cohort. All information, including hand x-rays reading and hand symptoms, have been collected and entered. Two papers on radiographic hand OA have been published in the peer-reviewed journals. The principal investigator has been actively involved in the Framingham OA Study, and played an important role in the data analyses of the study. The results of this study will generate important information on descriptive epidemiology of symptomatic hand OA among population. These include: (1) providing the first estimate of prevalence of symptomatic hand OA as well as its age and gender distribution in a population-based study in US Caucasian population; (2) describing the pattern of joint involvement of symptomatic hand OA and examining which joint or joint group are more likely to suffer from OA; (3) assessing impact of symptomatic hand OA on functional disability by examining its relation to performance of several daily activities and grip strength.
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