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Background: Musculoskeletal complaints influence general health status, but the relative contribution of concurrent upper and lower extremity disabilities on patient perceptions of general health is unclear. Questions/Purposes: We evaluated whether two regional instruments (DASH and WOMAC) reflect a patient's perception of general health measured using the SF-36 and determined whether general health components are explained by upper and lower extremity disabilities. Methods: We recruited 272 randomly chosen participants 65 years or older without a history of surgery for musculoskeletal disease or trauma who participated in the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging. Upper extremity disability was determined with the DASH score and lower extremity disability with the WOMAC; as a measure of general health, we obtained SF-36 scores. Multivariate regression modeling was used to assess the relative contributions made by upper and lower extremity disabilities to general health. Results: The DASH and WOMAC each was correlated with the physical component summary (PCS) scale and with the mental component summary (MCS) scale to differing extents. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that WOMAC alone, DASH alone, and WOMAC and DASH accounted for 24%, 19%, and 26% of the variance in the PCS scale. However, only the DASH was associated with the MCS scale but accounted for only 2% of the variance. Conclusions: We found that in a community-based elderly population, perceived general physical health is associated with upper and lower extremity disabilities, whereas perceived general mental health is associated with only upper extremity disabilities, but to a small extent. Level of Evidence: Level II, prognostic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interpreting the impact of hand osteoarthritis (OA) on hand function is complicated owing to the multiple digits and joints in the hand. Questions/purpose: We determined the impact of digit-related radiographic OA on hand function in patients 65 years or older. Methods: We evaluated hand radiographs in 196 men and 182 women older than 65 years without shoulder or elbow pain who participated in the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging. Using the Kellgren and Lawrence criteria, we graded the 15 joints in each hand from 0 to 4 for OA, and evaluated hand function by measuring DASH scores and grip and pinch strength of dominant hands. We performed multiple linear regression analyses to evaluate associations between hand functions and the sum of Kellgren and Lawrence grade of each digit. Results: The sums of Kellgren and Lawrence grades for thumbs and middle fingers were independently associated with grip strength, and the sums of the Kellgren and Lawrence grades for thumbs and index fingers were independently associated with pinch strength after controlling for age and sex. DASH scores were independently associated with OA of the thumb, or index or middle finger, but not with OA of the ring or small finger. Conclusions: This study revealed cumulative effects of joint involvement and Kellgren and Lawrence grades of thumb and middle finger OA on grip strength, and thumb and index finger OA on pinch strength. Furthermore, OA of either of three radial digits was associated with more severe upper extremity disabilities. Level of Evidence: Level IV, diagnostic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]