Background Effect of osteophytosis on quality of life decline remains unclear.

Objectives The objective of the present longitudinal study was to clarify whether osteophytosis and joint space narrowing predict quality of life (QOL) decline using a longitudinal population-based cohort of the Research on Osteoarthritis/osteoporosis Against Disability (ROAD) study.Effect of osteophytosis on Quality of life decline remains unclear.

Methods The present study analyzed 1,525 participants who completed the radiographic examination at baseline and questionnaires regarding QOL at a 3-year follow-up (546 men and 979 women; mean age, 67.0±11.0 years). This study examined the associations of osteophyte area (OPA) and minimum joint space width (mJSW) in the medial compartment of the knee at baseline with pain and physical functional disability measured by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). OPA and mJSW in the medial compartment of the knee were measured using a knee OA computer-aided diagnosis system.

Results We used multiple regression analysis with age, BMI, grip strength, pain score at baseline, OPA, and mJSW as explanatory variables and found that, overall, mJSW was an independent predictor for pain after 3 years. When analyzed in men and women, separately, OPA was an independent predictor for pain in men, but mJSW was not. In women, mJSW was an independent predictor for pain, but OPA was not. In terms of physical function,we used multiple regression analysis with age, BMI, grip strength, physical function score at baseline, OPA, and mJSW as explanatory variables, and found that OPA and mJSW were independent predictors for physical functional disability. When analyzed in men and women separately, OPA was an independent predictor for physical functional disability in men, but mJSW was not. In women, mJSW was an independent predictor for physical functional disability, but OPA was not. To examine whether OPA and mJSW predicted worsening of pain during the 3-year follow-up, we calculated differences of the WOMAC pain scores between baseline and follow-up. In the overall population, mJSW was a significant predictor for worsening of pain after adjustment for age, BMI, gender, and pain score at baseline, whereas OPA was not. When analyzed in men and women separately, OPA was a significant predictor for worsening of pain in men, whereas mJSW was a significant predictor for worsening of pain in women. In the overall population, to examine whether OPA and mJSW independently predicted worsening of physical functional disability, we used multiple regression analysis with age, BMI, gender, grip strength, physical function score at baseline, OPA, and mJSW as explanatory variables, and found that mJSW was an independent predictor for worsening of physical functional disability. When analyzed in men and women separately, after adjustment for age, BMI, grip strength, and physical function scores at baseline, OPA and mJSW were significant predictors for worsening of physical functional disability in men; in women, mJSW was a significant predictor for worsening of physical functional disability.

Conclusions The present longitudinal study using a large-scale population from the ROAD study found gender differences in the association of osteophytosis and joint space narrowing with pain and physical functional disability.

Disclosure of Interest None declared

DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4934