Joint disorders and walking disability in Sweden by the year 2000. Epidemiologic studies of a Swedish community.

The prevalence of joint complaints with walking disability, as well as clinically diagnosed hip and knee diseases, in Sweden in the year 2000 was calculated from data from a population survey that we made in a Swedish community (Atvidaberg) in 1986. The population was representative of that of the whole country. Among all 5,259 persons aged 45 years and older, 35 percent reported long-lasting joint complaints. The prevalence of clinically diagnosed degenerative joint disease was 14 percent, that of extraarticular disease 12 percent, inflammatory joint disease 2.4 percent, arthralgia 1.4 percent, and collagenoses 0.5 percent. From the official estimations of the Swedish 8.5 million population as to age classes and sex by the year 2000, joint complaints can be foreseen in 1.2 million inhabitants, representing a total increase of 0.16 million persons. The number of patients with destructive rheumatoid arthritis can be estimated at 58,000 in the year 2000.