Low prevalence of radiographic hip osteoarthritis and its discordance with hip pain: A nationwide study in Korea.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and associated factors of radiographic hip osteoarthritis (OA) in the Korean community-dwelling population.

Methods: This study included 11 814 individuals (5025 men and 6789 women) ≥50 years of age from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Radiographic hip OA was defined as having a Kellgren-Lawrence grading scale score ≥2. Painful hip OA was defined as radiographic hip OA with the presence of hip pain. The prevalence of radiographic hip OA was evaluated with respect to age group, sex and presence of hip pain. The associations of sociodemographic and clinical variables with hip OA and hip pain were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analyses.

Results: The weighted prevalence of radiographic hip OA and painful hip OA was 1.1% and 0.2%, respectively, in Korea. Older age (≥75 years) and male sex were independently associated with radiographic hip OA and painless hip OA. Comorbid musculoskeletal pain (knee pain) was independently associated with painful hip OA. The difference between painful and painless hip OA was the presence of comorbid musculoskeletal pain (knee pain and low back pain). Although hip pain was more common in women than in men, it was associated with the severity of hip OA only in men.

Conclusions: Radiographic hip OA is rare in Korean middle-aged and elderly people. Furthermore, hip pain is infrequent in radiographic hip OA. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 20-26.