IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF OSTEOARTHRITIS

The prevalence of hip OA was higher than described in radiographic surveys, with 29.5%, 32.8 % and 43.7 % in right, left and ‘‘any’ ’ hip, respectively. Males had a non-significant trend towards higher prevalence of hip OA, (p0.2, 2). Generalised OA was defined as hand OA plus knee and/or hip OA. Ultrasound evidence of generalised OA (48%) and isolated hand OA (31%) were common, compared to isolated hip or knee OA (5%) and both hip and knee OA (3%). Conclusions: This is the first study to look at the prevalence of ultrasound defined OA in the community. The higher prevalence of OA in the hands and hips in this study, when compared to previous radiographic studies, adds evidence to the idea that ultrasound is more sensitive than radiographs in detecting OA, particularly for the presence of osteophytes. The high prevalence of isolated hand OA suggests that ultrasound defined hand OA may be a predictor of the development of generalised OA. A study of longitudinal risk factors for OA obtained prospectively in this cohort is underway. Disclosure statement: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest