This study clarified individual associations of joint space narrowing (JSN) and radiographic features (RF) of hip osteoarthritis (HOA), i.e., cyst and osteophyte formation and subchondral sclerosis, with quality of life (QOL) in Japanese HOA patients.
This cross-sectional study comprised 117 Japanese HOA patients (98 women, 17 men; mean age, 61.2 years). We recorded locations and the size of each RF and measured JSN on the acetabular side (Ace) or femoral head (FH). We evaluated pain with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and assessed QOL with the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36. We compared QOL with/without the RF on the Ace, FH or both and analyzed relationships between each RF and VAS, PCS and MCS with linear regression analysis. We assessed independent associations of each RF with PCS and MCS with multiple regression analysis using various independent variables.
VAS values with the cyst on the Ace only were significantly lower than those with the cyst at both locations. PCS values with the cyst on the Ace only were significantly higher than those for both locations. Independent associations existed for maximum cyst length on the Ace and FH with VAS and for JSN with PCS, but none existed for MCS.
Our study suggested that the location and the size of the cyst formation were associated with both VAS and QOL in Japanese HOA patients. The JSN was independently associated with the PCS.