在欧洲人群中,手部、膝、髋关节影像学上诊断骨关节炎较常见,特别是那些年龄超过 50 岁的人群。[3]Petersson IF. Occurrence of osteoarthritis of the peripheral joints in European populations. Ann Rheum Dis. 1996;55:659-661.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1010270/pdf/annrheumd00354-0077.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8882143?tool=bestpractice.com 英国约有 850 万人患有骨性关节炎,这一数据可能会随着老龄人口增加而增加。[4]Arthritis Care. OA nation: the most comprehensive UK report of people with osteoarthritis. April 2004. http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/ (last accessed 25 August 2014).http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/PublicationsandResources/Forhealthprofessionals/OANation/Downloads/main_content/OA_Nation_report.pdf
骨关节炎在女性患者中常见,并且随着年龄增长而明显增加。弗雷明汉骨关节炎研究 (Framingham Osteoarthritis Study) 结果显示,影像学意义的骨关节炎患病率从低于 60 岁的 27% 上升至高于 70 岁的 44%。[5]Felson DT, Naimark A, Anderson J, et al. The prevalence of knee osteoarthritis in the elderly: the Framingham Osteoarthritis Study. Arthritis Rheum. 1987;30:914-918.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3632732?tool=bestpractice.com 此外,弗雷明汉研究还显示平均年龄为 71 岁的女性人群中每年约有 2% 发展成影像学意义的膝关节骨关节炎,而同样情况下男性为 1.4%;每年有 1% 的女性发展成有症状的膝关节骨性关节炎,此数据在男性中为 0.7%。[6]Felson DT, Zhang Y, Hannan MT, et al. The incidence and natural history of knee osteoarthritis in the elderly. The Framingham Osteoarthritis Study. Arthritis Rheum. 1995;38:1500-1505.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7575700?tool=bestpractice.com 一项英国全科医学研究中,目前有诊断记录为膝关节患者患病率在年龄>45 岁的患者中为1.1%,而目前登记在册的曾被诊断膝关节骨关节炎的受调查者的预估患病率在某种情况下为 5.5%。[7]Bedson J, Kelvin J, Croft P. The prevalence and history of knee osteoarthritis in general practice: a case–control study. Fam Pract. 2005;22:103-108.http://fampra.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/1/103.fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15640302?tool=bestpractice.com
在美国,膝关节骨关节炎的发病率在每年164-240人/100,000人之间。[8]Wilson MG, Michel CJ Jr, Ilstrup DM, et al. Idiopathic symptomatic osteoarthritis of the hip and knee: a population-based incidence study. Mayo Clin Proc. 1990; 65:1214-1221.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2402161?tool=bestpractice.com[9]Oliveria SA, Felson DT, Reed JI, et al. Incidence of symptomatic hand, hip, and knee osteoarthritis among patients in a health maintenance organization. Arthritis Rheum. 1995;38:1134-1141.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7639811?tool=bestpractice.com 手部骨关节炎的每年发病率在 2%-4% 之间。[1]Sharma L, Kapoor D, Issa S. Epidemiology of osteoarthritis: an update. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2006;18:147-156.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16462520?tool=bestpractice.com 髋关节骨性关节炎发病率在每年47-88 人/100000 人之间。[8]Wilson MG, Michel CJ Jr, Ilstrup DM, et al. Idiopathic symptomatic osteoarthritis of the hip and knee: a population-based incidence study. Mayo Clin Proc. 1990; 65:1214-1221.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2402161?tool=bestpractice.com[9]Oliveria SA, Felson DT, Reed JI, et al. Incidence of symptomatic hand, hip, and knee osteoarthritis among patients in a health maintenance organization. Arthritis Rheum. 1995;38:1134-1141.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7639811?tool=bestpractice.com 骨关节炎整体患病率从 30 岁以下人群的 1% 上升到 40 岁以上人群的 10%,和 60 岁以上人群的 50%。[10]Kelley's textbook of rheumatology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Company; 2001. 北京骨关节炎研究 (Beijing Osteoarthritis Study) 结果显示,男性髋关节骨关节炎的患病率低于女性,中国女性人群膝关节骨关节炎的患病率要高于美国同类型人群。[11]Nevitt MC, Xu L, Zhang Y, et al. Very low prevalence of hip osteoarthritis among Chinese elderly in Beijing, China, compared with whites in the United States: the Beijing osteoarthritis study. Arthritis Rheum. 2002;46:1773-1779.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12124860?tool=bestpractice.com[12]Zhang Y, Xu L, Nevitt MC, et al. Comparison of the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis between the elderly Chinese population in Beijing and whites in the United States: the Beijing Osteoarthritis Study. Arthritis Rheum. 2001;44:2065-2071.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11592368?tool=bestpractice.com