Background/Purpose

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent rheumatic disease in Mexico. The core treatment, a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological modalities, is mainly performed in primary care. 

Objective: To describe which are the most employed therapeutic resources for osteoarthritis and their associated factors in the urban and rural population of Nuevo León.

Methods

Analysis of a cross-sectional study of patients with OA from a COPCORD study database that included the adult population ≥ 18 years of a representative sample of the State of Nuevo León who met the diagnosis of clinical OA and had information about the anatomical location of the disease. All variables in the COPCORD questionnaire were included and performed a descriptive analysis. For the univariate analysis, the population was divided between those who did and those who didn’t receive treatment. For the multivariate analysis, a regression logistic analysis of all the variables with statistical significance was performed.

Results

There were 696 patients with OA with an average age of 58yr (SD 14.1), 484 (69.5%) women and 579 (83.2%) patients were living in urban areas. Five hundred and two patients (85.1%) had pain in the last 7 days, with a mean VAS pain of 6 (IQR 3); 507 (72.8%) patients had a VAS pain ≥4. Functional disability was present in 133 (19%) patients and a mean HAQ of 0.37 (IQR 0.75) was found. The most common places of OA where knee (356, 51.5%), hand (224, 37%) and generalized OA (93, 13%); 259 (37%) patients already knew their diagnosis by the time of the examination. Four hundred and ninety four (71%) patients reported having treatment for OA, being the most frequently prescribed NSAIDS (289, 58.5%), mostly diclofenac (198, 68.5%). Analgesics were used by 100 (20.2%) patients, mostly acetaminophen (73, 77%). There was more utilization of NSAIDS by physicians (231/289, 79.9%) and of analgesics by self-prescribers (35/100, 35%). In the univariate analysis, the variables associated with treatment where age >58yr (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0-1.5), female gender (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.0-1.3), VAS pain ≥ 4 (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.4), functional disability (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.6-4.1), HAQ > 0.375 (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.5-2.4), and past diagnosis of OA (OR 5.1, 95% CI 3.3-8.0). In a multivariate analysis, VAS pain ≥ 4 (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2-2.8), kneeling disability (OR 3.15, 95% CI 1.3-7.4) and previous diagnosis of OA (OR 7.6, 95% CI 4.5-12.9) had statistical significance.

Conclusion

Associated factors with treatment of OA are VAS pain ≥ 4, kneeling disability and previous diagnosis of OA. 

ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/kneeling-disability-associated-with-the-treatment-of-osteoarthritis-analysis-of-a-copcord-study-in-mexico/