Epidemiology of Osteoarthritis and Associated Factors

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis worldwide, characterised by degeneration of joint cartilage and underlying bone, leading to pain, stiffness and reduced function. Prevalence rises steeply with age, affecting an estimated 7–10 per cent of adults globally, and is higher in women than in men after mid-life. Incidence and prevalence vary by joint site, with the knee most commonly implicated, followed by hip, hand and spine. Key non-modifiable risk factors include advancing age, female sex and genetic predisposition, while modifiable factors encompass obesity, joint injury, occupational or recreational overuse and metabolic comorbidities. Socioeconomic and psychosocial determinants such as lower educational attainment, community deprivation and mental distress also contribute to disease burden and reported pain levels. The global burden, measured in years lived with disability, has increased substantially in recent decades and is projected to rise further with population ageing and growth. Variations in diagnostic criteria, from self-reported symptoms to radiographic grading, underscore the ongoing challenge of standardising case definitions for surveillance and health-service planning. Effective public-health strategies target weight management, injury prevention and early intervention to mitigate progression and reduce inequities in access to care, including joint replacement services.

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Epidemiology of Osteoarthritis and Associated Factors publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in epidemiology of osteoarthritis and associated factors across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Prevalence: The proportion of a population affected by a condition at a specific point or period in time.

Incidence: The rate at which new cases of a condition occur in a population over a defined period.

Radiographically confirmed osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis diagnosis based on imaging criteria, typically the Kellgren–Lawrence grading system.

Symptomatic osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis defined by clinical symptoms such as joint pain, stiffness or functional limitation, regardless of imaging findings.

Years lived with disability (YLD): A metric that quantifies the non-fatal health loss associated with living with a disease or its consequences.

References

1. Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet Rheumatology (2023).
2. Sex differences in the radiographic and symptomatic prevalence of knee and hip osteoarthritis. Frontiers in Endocrinology (2024).
3. The prevalence of hip osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Arthritis Research & Therapy (2023).