ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Geriatric Medicine
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1616132
The global burden of osteoarthritis hand: lessons from the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2021
Provisionally accepted
Jiyong Wei1
Zhongyi Su2Songmu Pan2Zhuan Zou2
Zhuan Zou2Gui Liao2
Huijiang Liu2Huijiang Liu3
Ronghe Gu2*
Yanni Lan1*- 1Guangxi Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Nanning, China
- 2Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Region, China
- 3The Eighth People’s Hospital of Nanning, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Region, China
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Background: Hand osteoarthritis (HOA), a disabling musculoskeletal disorder, poses a significant global burden but remains understudied relative to other osteoarthritis (OA) subtypes. Using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 1990-2021, this analysis characterizes HOA epidemiology, temporal trends, and future projections.Methods: GBD 2021 data on HOA incidence, prevalence, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were stratified by sex, age, Socio-demographic Index (SDI) regions, GBD regions, and countries. Temporal trends were assessed via estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs), with future projections (2022-2046) generated using an age-period-cohort (APC) model.In 2021, HOA accounted for 10.37 million incidence cases, 194.28 million prevalence cases, and 6.17 million DALYs. Female burdens were 1.8-2.0 times higher than males in absolute terms and 1.75-1.78 times higher in age-standardized rates (ASRs). Incidence cases peaked in advanced ages before declining, while prevalence/DALYs rose monotonically with age. Middle SDI regions had the highest absolute burdens, whereas high SDI regions showed the highest ASRs.Central Asia emerged as a burden hotspot, while minimal health system regions and sub-Saharan Africa had the lowest rates. From 1990 to 2021, global incidences increased 142%. Low/middle-income regions (such as South Asia) saw significant increases, contrasting with declines in high-income areas (such as Western Europe).APC projections indicate continued growth through 2046, with male/female incidences rising 69.6%/51.6% and ASRs increasing for both sexes.HOA represents a growing global challenge with pronounced sex/age/regional disparities. Targeted interventions in high-burden regions, aging populations, and risk factor management are critical to mitigate projected burden increases.
Keywords: Osteoarthritis, Hand, global, disease burden, GBD
Received: 22 Apr 2025; Accepted: 09 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wei, Su, Pan, Zou, Zou, Liao, Liu, Liu, Gu and Lan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Ronghe Gu, Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Region, China
Yanni Lan, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine, Nanning, China
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