Sociodemographic characteristics of patients with incident osteoarthritis (OA) from April 1996 to March 1998, their first orthopedic surgeons’ visit, and their first total joint arthroplasty. Numbers are percentages unless otherwise mentioned.
| Characteristics | New OA Diagnosis by Nonorthopedic Surgeon, n = 34,420 | First Orthopedic Surgeon Visit, n = 7475 | First Total Joint Arthroplasty, n = 2814 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women, n (%) | 20,850 (61) | 4198 (56) | 1627 (57.8) |
| Age, yrs, mean (± SD) | 61.6 (± 14.8) | 63 (± 12.9) | 66 (± 10.6) |
| SES quintile | |||
| 1 | 24 | 21 | 19 |
| 2 | 20.5 | 19 | 18 |
| 3 | 19 | 20 | 20 |
| 4 | 18.5 | 20 | 21 |
| 5 | 18 | 20 | 22 |
| Age, yrs | |||
| 20–39 | 8.4 | 5 | 1.7 |
| 40–49 | 13.3 | 10.8 | 5.5 |
| 50–59 | 21.0 | 22 | 15.7 |
| 60–69 | 23.7 | 28.2 | 34.3 |
| 70–79 | 22.7 | 26 | 34.1 |
| 80+ | 10.9 | 8.5 | 8.7 |
| Diabetes | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| Hypertension | 36 | 38 | 43 |
| Ischemic heart disease | 23 | 23 | 24 |
| Mean Charlson comorbidity score (± (SD) | 1.63 (± 2.3) | 1.60 (± 2.2) | 1.71 (± 2.2) |
SES: socioeconomic status.