Prevalence of Joint Pain and Osteoarthritis in Obese Brazilian Population

BACKGROUND: High body mass index, as well as maintaining this condition for a long period of time, are important risk factors for the development of osteoarthritis. AIM: To determine joint pain and osteoarthritis prevalence in patients referred to bariatric surgery. METHODS: Morbidly obese patients referred to bariatric surgery responded to the visual analogue pain scale (VAS) and the WOMAC questionnaire. X-rays of the hips and knees were evaluated. The primary endpoints were self-reported joint pain and the diagnosis of osteoarthritis by clinical and radiological criteria of the American College of Rheumatology. RESULTS: 141 patients were interviewed (85.1% women) with a mean age of 40 years. The mean body mass index was 46. The lumbar spine and knee joint were the most commonly reported as painful (77.9% and 73.2% respectively). Prevalence of knee osteoarthritis was 63.1% and hip osteoarthritis was 40.8%. Age, mean VAS and WOMAC scores were higher in the osteoarthritic individuals. CONCLUSION: There is prevalence of 90.1% of pain symptoms in morbidly obese patients referred to bariatric surgery. The prevalence of knee osteoarthritis was 63.1% and hip osteoarthritis was 40.8% in this sample.