Health Disparities and Musculoskeletal Diseases

Musculoskeletal diseases strike adults at all ages and across all socioeconomic groups. They affect earnings and income during younger ages, as well as functioning and life expectancy at older ages. There is increasing evidence that the prevalence and treatment strategies for musculoskeletal disease are associated with geography, race, and socioeconomic status. Understanding the role of these factors in specific musculoskeletal diseases, such as osteoarthritis in the hip and knee, and back pain, is important and can provide a valuable insight into the larger debate about the associations among race, socioeconomic status, treatment, disability, and health outcomes.

Knee & Hip OA and Arthroplasty

There have been dramatic increases in the rates of total hip replacement and knee arthroplasty for the treatment of osteoarthritis. We are testing whether unmet health needs, or other factors related to socioeconomic status, race, or region, better explain the diffusion of arthroplasty use in the elderly population.

Papers

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