Association of Frailty With Risk of Osteoarthritis Development, Progression, and Worse Clinical Outcomes in Older Adults
Authors' conclusion
Frailty was associated with greater risk of OA incidence and falls, as well as KOOS-measured disease progression, but not joint replacement surgery-free time.
Study context
- Population
- Middle-aged and older adults from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) (58.53% female; mean age 61.2 years)
- Participants
- 4,753 participants
- Exposure
- Greater vs lower baseline frailty index score
- Outcome
- OA incidence, KOOS trajectories, falls and knee or hip arthroplasty by baseline frailty index
- Follow-up
- ≈9 years from baseline
Methodological detailslongitudinal, Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) data
- Longitudinal
- Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) data
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Development of OA, per higher baseline frailty · 9 years
OR for osteoarthritis (OA) development at 9 years
1.73
greatest effect; 95% CI 1.52–1.97P < 0.001
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
KOOS Function trajectory with increasing frailty (greatest effect among KOOS subscales; all subscales P < 0.001)
- Estimate
- −9.52 (95% CI −10.28 to −8.77, P < 0.001)
Fall within 3 years, per 0.1 difference in baseline frailty index
- OR
- 1.44 (95% CI 1.32-1.58, P < 0.001)
Knee or hip arthroplasty
- HR, hip arthroplasty (HA) in female participants
- 1.29 (95% CI 1.04-1.61, P = 0.02)
- Frailty index did not significantly affect risk regardless of surgical site
Original publication
Association of Frailty With Risk of Osteoarthritis Development, Progression, and Worse Clinical Outcomes in Older Adults. J Rheumatol. Published 1 October 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →