A computer simulation model called the Osteoarthritis Policy Model (OAPol) is being used to estimate risks of symptomatic knee OA starting at 40 years of age, stratified by gender and ethnicity.
In an interview at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in Washington, Elena Losina, Ph.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, describes how the model can be used to develop a risk score that doctors and patients can use to calculate an individual's risk of developing knee OA and take preventive action.
The study was funded in part by the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Losina had no financial conflicts to disclose.