Background:The burden of hand osteoarthritis (OA) has often been overlooked, with most studies focusing on knee OA. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of radiographic hand OA in a Vietnamese population.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,865 participants aged 40 and older, randomly recruited from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Radiographic hand OA was assessed using the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) scoring system. Criteria for radiographic hand OA in a single joint included: (1) osteophytes grade ≥ 2, (2) joint space narrowing (JSN) grade ≥ 2, or (3) osteophytes grade ≥ 1 combined with JSN grade ≥ 1. Radiographic knee OA was evaluated using the Kellgren and Lawrence scale, with grades 2 or higher indicating knee OA. Multiple logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors for radiographic hand OA.
Results: The point prevalence of radiographic hand OA was 20.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 18.3 to 22.0), while the prevalence of symptomatic hand OA was 4.7% (95% CI: 3.8 to 5.8). Both prevalence rates increased with advancing age. Women exhibited higher rates of symptomatic hand OA, but the rates of radiographic hand OA were only slightly higher compared to men and not statistically significant. Interphalangeal joint disease of the thumb was more common in both men and women. Significant risk factors for radiographic hand OA included advancing age (odds ratio [OR] per 10 years: 3.0, 95% CI: 2.5 to 3.6), male sex (OR 1.5, 95% CI: 1.1 to 2.1), knee OA (OR 1.8, 95% CI: 1.3 to 2.4), and hand pain (OR 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2 to 2.5).
Conclusions: These data indicate that hand OA is a common and potentially under-recognized condition, and that addressing modifiable risk factors such as hand pain and knee OA may be crucial for its prevention and management.