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Epidemiology of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis prevalence increases as people age, with joint changes most frequently beginning between ages 40 and 50. In fact, Michet highlights, osteoarthritis represents one of the leading causes of chronic disability in adults, second only to cardiovascular disease.

This common form of arthritis strikes 121 of 1,000 people between the ages of 18 and 79 whereas the next most common form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, affects 9 in 1,000 persons. An estimated 20 million Americans have osteoarthritis, of which the knee typifies the most common weight-bearing joint affected. According to Felson, in the United States, about 5% of the population suffers from hip or knee osteoarthritis, 9.5% of adults greater than age 62 have knee osteoarthritis, and more than 70% of hip and knee replacements occur due to osteoarthritis.

The prevalence of osteoarthritis in modern society causes concern in terms of prognosis. As society begins to live longer, a plethora of chronic diseases linked with aging, such as osteoarthritis, will most likely cause greater concern among the elderly and health care professionals. According to the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES-I) and the epidemiological follow-up to this survey (NHEFS), knee osteoarthritis correlated with decreased survival in women. In addition, data from NHANES-I and NHEFS suggest that those with knee osteoarthritis possess significantly more risk of incurring mobility and lower-extremity disability than those without knee osteoarthritis.

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This fact sheet was last updated on 03-02-2007.