Prevalence of large-joint osteoarthritis in Asian and Caucasian skeletal populations.

OBJECTIVE: To determine ethnic variations of large-joint osteoarthritis (OA) in past populations. METHODS: One thousand two hundred and nine adult skeletons, excavated from archaeological sites in Japan, China and France were assessed for OA as defined by the presence of eburnation. RESULTS: Within Asian skeletal populations, elbow OA and patellofemoral joint OA were more common in hunter-gatherers than in agriculturalists. Compared with Caucasians, the Asian skeletal population had a higher prevalence of tibiofemoral joint OA. CONCLUSION: The relative frequencies of OA within and between ethnic groups at certain joint sites have changed over time from the past to the present.