Radiographically detectable intra-articular mineralization: Predictor of knee osteoarthritis outcomes or only an indicator of aging? A brief report from the osteoarthritis initiative

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between Intra-articular mineralization (IAM) and knee osteoarthritis (OA) outcomes stratified according to participants’ age. METHODS: Participants from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) with baseline radiographic OA (i.e., Kellgren-Lawrence grade ≥2 with Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) atlas joint space narrowing (JSN)) in either knee were identified. Both knees and dominant hand baseline radiographs were evaluated for the presence of IAM. Whole-grade OARSI-JSN radiographic progression and increased Western Ontario and McMaster universities osteoarthritis index scores of the knees with baseline radiographic OA (assessed annually) were defined as radiographic and symptomatic progression, respectively. Cox proportional-hazards and longitudinal multilevel regression models investigated radiographic and symptomatic progression, respectively. RESULTS: 2010 participants with baseline radiographic OA in either one or both knees (N ​= ​2976) were identified. 178 participants had baseline IAM (hand radiographs ​= ​46, knee radiographs ​= ​166, both ​= ​34). An adjusted logistic regression model suggests an association between age and IAM (Odds Ratio: 1.06, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.04–1.08). Presence of any IAM was not associated with whole-grade OARSI-JSN (Hazard Ratio (HR): 1.00, 95% CI: 0.73–1.37) or symptomatic progression (Estimated difference: 1.24, p-value: 0.13) in all participants. Using stratification analysis, in younger participants <60 years old, presence of any IAM was associated with radiographic progression (HR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.01–3.60). CONCLUSION: Although the presence of any radiographic IAM increases with higher age and does not predict knee OA outcomes across the entire sample of OAI participants, it is associated with knee OA radiographic progression in participants aged <60.