CLINICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Extended report

CHECK (Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee): similarities and differences with the Osteoarthritis Initiative

J Wesseling¹, J Dekker², W B van den Berg³, S M A Bierma-Zeinstra⁴, M Boers², H A Cats⁵, P Deckers⁶, K J Gorter¹, P H T G Heuts⁷, W K H A Hilberdink⁸, M Kloppenburg⁹, R G H H Nelissen⁹, F G J Oosterveld¹⁰, J C M Oostveen¹¹, L D Roorda¹², M A Viergever¹, S ten Wolde¹³, F P J G Lafeber¹, J W J Bijlsma¹

¹ University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
² VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
³ Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
⁴ Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
⁵ St Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
⁶ Academic Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands
⁷ Rehabilitation Center Leijpark, Tilburg, The Netherlands
⁸ Allied Health Care Center for Rheumatology and Rehabilitation, Groningen, The Netherlands
⁹ Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
¹⁰ Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Enschede, The Netherlands
¹¹ Twenteborg Hospital, Almelo, The Netherlands
¹² Jan van Breemen Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
¹³ Kennemer Gasthuis Haarlem, Haarlem, The Netherlands

^{Correspondence to} Ms J Wesseling, University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology (F02.127), PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands; j.wesseling{at}umcutrecht.nl

Objective: To describe the osteoarthritis study population of CHECK (Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee) in comparison with relevant selections of the study population of the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) based on clinical status and radiographic parameters.

Methods: In The Netherlands a prospective 10-year follow-up study was initiated by the Dutch Arthritis Association on participants with early osteoarthritis-related complaints of hip and/or knee: CHECK. In parallel in the USA an observational 4-year follow-up study, the OAI, was started by the National Institutes of Health, on patients with or at risk of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. For comparison with CHECK, the entire cohort and a subgroup of individuals excluding those with exclusively hip pain were compared with relevant subpopulations of the OAI.

Results: At baseline, CHECK included 1002 participants with in general similar characteristics as described for the OAI. However, significantly fewer individuals in CHECK had radiographic knee osteoarthritis at baseline when compared with the OAI (p<0.001). In contrast, at baseline, the CHECK cohort reported higher scores on pain, stiffness and functional disability (Western Ontario and McMaster osteoarthritis index) when compared with the OAI (all p<0.001). These differences were supported by physical health status in contrast to mental health (Short Form 36/12) was at baseline significantly worse for the CHECK participants (p<0.001).

Conclusion: Although both cohorts focus on the early phase of osteoarthritis, they differ significantly with respect to structural (radiographic) and clinical (health status) characteristics, CHECK expectedly representing participants in an even earlier phase of disease.

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