Prevalence of osteoporosis in osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Data are contradictory regarding the relationship between osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis (OP) with some studies showing the increased risk of OP in OA. The study was conducted to determine whether OP prevalence is increased in patients with OA, compared to age and sex-matched population. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library (inception-2019) were searched for studies reporting the frequency, rate, prevalence, incidence, risk, or excess risk of OP in patients with OA compared to age and sex-matched population. Estimates were combined using a random effects model. Consistency was evaluated using the I² statistic. Articles with fewer than 200 participants were excluded. Of 2772 articles, 49 had full article screening, and 8 articles met the inclusion criteria. Other articles reporting mean BMD and not OP were excluded. In women, 998 participants with OA were compared with 1903 controls. The pooled estimate of the odds ratio for prevalence of OP vs general matched population was not statistically different. In men, 136 participants with OA were compared with 682 controls. The results did not show a statistically significant difference in the frequency of OP in OA in men. According to the site of bone mineral density measurement, a higher prevalence of OP at lumbar spine was found in both men and women. The frequency of OP overall in participants with OA was not different, except for a higher prevalence of OP in lumbar spine in both men and women compared to the matched controls.