RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Association between osteoarthritis of the hand and knee in a population of skeletons from London
JF Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases
JO Ann Rheum Dis
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and European League Against Rheumatism
SP 116
OP 118
DO 10.1136/ard.56.2.116
VO 56
IS 2
A1 Waldron, H A
YR 1997
UL http://ard.bmj.com/content/56/2/116.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE To examine the relation between osteoarthritis of the hand and knee in a group of skeletons dating to the 18th and early 19th centuries from two sites in London.METHODS This was a case-control study of 115 cases and controls matched for age and sex. Cases were skeletons with osteoarthritis of the hands; cases and controls were assessed for the presence of osteoarthritis of any compartment of the knee.RESULTS Cases had a significant odds ratio (OR) for osteoarthritis of the knee compared with controls: OR 5.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25 to 56.37. Cases with osteoarthritis of the distal interphalangeal (DIP), proximal interphalangeal (PIP), and first carpometacarpal (CMC1) joints had increased but non-significant odds ratios for osteoarthritis of the knee in the order DIP > PIP > CMC1. Cases with multifocal osteoarthritis of the hands had a significantly increased odds ratio for osteoarthritis of the knee: OR 11.67, 95% CI 1.13 to 379.57.CONCLUSIONS The study confirms the association between osteoarthritis of the hand and the knee seen in contemporary populations and suggests that it is not of very recent origin.