Radiographic osteoarthritis in the elderly. A cohort comparison and a longitudinal study of the "70-year old people in Göteborg".

The prevalence of radiographic osteoarthritis in hand and knee joints was studied in representative subsamples of the 75 and 79 year old population of Göteborg, Sweden. A comparison between two cohorts of 79-year-olds, revealed no significant difference between them. A longitudinal study within one of these cohorts including those aged between 75 and 79 showed a modest but not statistically significant progression of osteoarthritis in hand and knee joints. The results suggest a reduced progression of osteoarthritis after 75 years of age.