Prevalence of OA

OA affects 70% of all women and 55% of all men at some time in their lives, and is the most common joint disease in the world.

In 2001, over 2 million people visited their GP in the UK on account of Osteo-arthritis. The number of people with Osteo-arthritis has risen over the past 10 years as the population ages, and more people are now seeking their GP’s help.

At least 4.4 million people in the UK have X-ray evidence of moderate to severe OA in their hands; 550,000 have moderate to severe OA of the knees; and 210,000 have moderate to severe OA of the hips. About 5% of all people affected will have severe disability.

In 2000, more than 44,000 hip replacements and 35,000 knee replacements were performed in the UK.