Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42679988›Full record

ArticleOsteoarthritis and cartilage2026

Prevalence of knee radiographic and symptomatic osteoarthritis and ultrasound features across sex and body mass index groups: The Johnston County Health Study.

Maya Patel, Carolina Alvarez, Todd A Schwartz, Tessa Walker, Serena Savage-Guin, Jordan B Renner, Jonathan Samuels, Janice Lin, Minna Kohler, Catherine Bakewell and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Osteoarthritis and cartilage, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Maya PatelThurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: maya_patel@med.unc.edu.
Carolina AlvarezThurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: alvarec@live.unc.edu.
Todd A SchwartzThurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: tschwart@email.unc.edu.
Tessa WalkerThurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: twalkerinspired@gmail.com.
Serena Savage-GuinThurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: ssuesg@yahoo.com.
Jordan B RennerThurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: Jordan_renner@med.unc.edu.
Jonathan SamuelsNew York University Langone Health, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: Jonathan.samuels@nyulangone.org.
Janice LinStanford Health Care, Palo Alto, CA, USA. Electronic address: jlin21@stanford.edu.
Minna KohlerMassachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: mkohler@mgh.harvard.edu.
Catherine BakewellIntermountain Health Care, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. Electronic address: bakewell@uw.edu.
Katherine A YatesOhio State University Wexner Medical Center, USA. Electronic address: Katherine.yates@osumc.edu.
Yvonne M GolightlyThurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA. Electronic address: ygolightly@unmc.edu.
Amanda E NelsonThurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: amanda_nelson@med.unc.edu.

Funding

UNC Core Center for Clinical ResearchP30AR072580 · NIAMS · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Amanda E Nelson · 2019 to 2026
$6.1M
Development of an AI/ML-ready knee ultrasound dataset in a population-based cohortR01AR077060 · NIAMS · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI NELSON, AMANDA E · 2020 to 2024
$2.0M
Mentoring in Patient Oriented Research in OsteoarthritisK24AR081368 · NIAMS · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · PI Amanda E Nelson · 2022 to 2026
$916k
NCCDPHP CDC HHS U01 DP006266NIAMS NIH HHS K24 AR081368NIAMS NIH HHS P30 AR072580NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR077060
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo quantify general population prevalence, and differences by sex and BMI, in ultrasound (US) features of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), patient-reported knee symptoms (Ksx), radiographic KOA (rKOA), and symptomatic KOA (sxKOA).

methodsParticipants from the Johnston County Health Study (2019-2024; n=902) provided demographic, clinical, and imaging data. Ksx was defined as self-reported pain, aching or stiffness on most days of any one month in the past 12 months. rKOA was defined as Kellgren-Lawrence grade ≥2 (or total knee replacement (TKR)), severe rKOA as grades 3-4 (or TKR), and sxKOA as rKOA and Ksx in the same knee. Standardized US scoring was performed as previously reported. Weighted prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for Ksx, rKOA, sxKOA, severe rKOA, and US features were calculated overall and by sex and BMI category.

resultsAmong 902 participants (67% female; 66% non-Hispanic white, mean age 55 years, and BMI 33 kg/m²), the weighted prevalence of Ksx, rKOA, sxKOA, and severe rKOA were 61%, 36%, 27%, and 21%, respectively, all higher (based on non-overlapping CIs) than baseline estimates from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project and other cohorts. Ksx, rKOA, sxKOA, and severe rKOA were higher among females and those with obesity. Compared to females with obesity, those with severe obesity had higher prevalence of all radiographic outcomes at moderate and severe grades with non-overlapping CI. US effusion and synovitis were more prevalent in males, whereas medial and lateral cartilage damage were more common in females. With increasing obesity, osteophytes and medial cartilage damage were more prevalent, while gryescale effusion was actually less frequent.

conclusionKOA prevalence continues to increase in the population. Sex and BMI differences in KOA prevalence and US features were most pronounced among females with severe obesity. Distinguishing between sexes and by obesity levels may improve understanding of KOA mechanisms and guide tailored prevention and treatment strategies.

Indexed as

Knee osteoarthritisObesityRadiographyUltrasound

Identifiers

PMID42679988
PMCPMC13580622

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.