12-month prevalence of osteoarthritis in Germany

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disease worldwide. In the advanced stage the disease is characterised by joint pain and loss of joint functionality. In the Robert Koch Institute’s GEDA 2014/2015-EHIS health interview survey, 17.9% of adults over 18 reported having suffered from osteoarthritis during the past twelve months, whereby prevalence for women (21.8%) was higher than for men (13.9%). Osteoarthritis becomes more common with age. Among those aged 65 and over, around half of all women (48.1%) and nearly one third of men (31.2%) are affected. Due to population ageing, the prevalence of osteoarthritis in Germany can be expected to increase further in the future.