Natural history of radiographic features of hand osteoarthritis over 10 years

SummaryObjectivesTo evaluate the natural history of radiographic hand osteoarthritis (OA) over 10 years.DesignWe assessed 118 subjects (30 women) twice (X-ray A and B) with mean (SD) follow-up time of 9.6 (0.4) years. Subjects were of mean (SD) age 52 (10) years at X-ray A and had undergone prior knee meniscectomy. Radiographs of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints, and the first interphalangeal (IP1) and first carpometacarpal (CMC1) joints of both hands were read for joint space narrowing (JSN) and osteophytes according to the OARSI atlas. Radiographic progression was evaluated both at joint and subject level.ResultsAt the time of X-ray A, we found radiographic OA (approximating Kellgren and Lawrence grade 2 or worse) in at least one hand joint in 42 (36%) subjects, and in 62 (53%) at X-ray B (P<0.001). At X-ray A, 21 subjects (18%) were classified as having primary hand OA vs 35 (30%) at X-ray B (P