THE RELATIONSHIP OF AGE AND GENDER TO PREVALENCE AND PATTERN OF RADIOGRAPHIC CHANGES OF OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE - DATA FROM CAUCASIAN PARTICIPANTS IN THE BALTIMORE LONGITUDINAL-STUDY OF AGING
M. Lethbridgecejku et al., THE RELATIONSHIP OF AGE AND GENDER TO PREVALENCE AND PATTERN OF RADIOGRAPHIC CHANGES OF OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE KNEE - DATA FROM CAUCASIAN PARTICIPANTS IN THE BALTIMORE LONGITUDINAL-STUDY OF AGING, Aging, 6(5), 1994, pp. 353-357
The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and pattern of ra
diographic changes of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee by age and gende
r in Caucasian participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Agi
ng. Bilateral standing weight-bearing radiographs of the knee in 547 m
ale and 351 female subjects (aged 20 and above) were read for changes
of knee OA using Kellgren-Lawrence and individual features scales. Pre
valence of definite (Kellgren-Lawrence grade greater than or equal to
2 changes) knee OA increased with advancing age in both sexes. Approxi
mately 50 per cent in both sexes showed bilateral involvement. Men age
d 59 and below were more likely to have unilateral impairment than men
aged 60 and above; no such differences were found in females. These d
ata demonstrate that age and gender influence both the prevalence and
pattern of radiographic changes of knee OA.