OA Risk C: Osteoarthritis Risk Calculator
Several risk factors have been identified for knee osteoarthritis (OA), including female sex, obesity, occupational exposure, and history of knee injury. With the increase in obesity and number of traumatic knee injuries in the US, the burden of knee OA will likely continue to grow. For this reason, primary prevention efforts that raise awareness of modifiable OA risk factors within a younger population could substantially impact disease burden.
Risk calculators have been used as an education tool to inform individuals of their estimated risk of disease and the impact of modifiable risk factors. Risk calculators exist for heart disease, various types of cancer, and diabetes; however, no risk calculator exists for knee OA. The availability of an interactive risk assessment tool for knee OA can raise awareness of modifiable risk factors for this diagnosis.
Using data from the Osteoarthritis Policy (OAPol) Model, our team has developed an interactive, personalized, computer-based risk calculator for knee OA – OA Risk C. OA Risk C depicts lifetime risks of knee OA and total knee replacement (TKR) based on a user’s demographics and risk factor information. Users are able to adjust their risk factors on interactive graphs in order to understand the impact of risk factors on OA development or risk of TKR. OA Risk C also allows users to compare their personal risk of developing OA and undergoing TKR to that of the average American with no risk factors.
OA Risk C has been tested for feasibility and ease of use within a clinical setting. We have also developed an online version of OA Risk C which was used in a population-based study and a randomized controlled trial.
Assess your risk of developing knee OA and undergoing TKR with our online version of the OA Risk C!