Risk Factors for Hand Osteoarthritis

Introduction. Hand osteoarthritis is a joint degenerative disease characterized by hand deformities affecting the hand strength and function, leading to greater disability and increased healthcare utilization. The objective of this study was to estimate the impact of different risk factors on the incidence of hand osteoarthritis. Material and Methods. The study was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted at the Special Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases Novi Sad, Serbia, during a one year period (2017 - 2018). It included 100 postmenopausal women aged 60 to 70 years presenting with pain in the hands ? 3 according to the visual analogue scale. All respondents were divided into two groups, according to radiographic findings graded using the Kellgren-Lawrence scale. Risk factors responsible for the development of hand osteoarthritis were examined and the research procedure included medical history data, physical examination of the hand joints, anthropometric measurements, and laboratory tests. Statistical processing and analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences ver. 25. Results. Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in relation to positive family history of degenerative changes in the hand joints (p = 0.000), as well as in relation to metabolic syndrome (p = 0.001). Conclusion. A positive family history of degenerative changes of the hands and presence of metabolic syndrome are significant risk factors for the development of hand osteoarthritis.