NATURAL MENOPAUSE, OOPHORECTOMY, HYSTERECTOMY AND THE RISK OF OSTEOARTHRITIS OF THE DIP JOINTS

The purpose of this study was to determine whether postmenopausal women have an increased risk of developing radiological osteoarthritis (ROA), bony enlargement or Heberden's nodes of the distal inter-phalangeal (DIP) joints. Secondly, the effects of the duration of the postmenopausal period, age at menopause or duration of the fertile period on the occurrence of DIP-OA were studied. Data from a population survey were used and 143 postmenopausal women with a natural menopause, 53 with a hysterectomy and 75 with a hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy were compared with 374 premenopausal women. There was no significant association of these postmenopausal states with ROA, bony swelling or Heberden's nodes. Ageadjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were 1.14 (0.68-1.91), 1.30 (0.72-2.35), 1.92 (0.77-4.76), respectively for the women with a natural menopause. After adjusting for age there was a positive relationship of Heberden's nodes with age at menopause and duration of the fertile period for women with a natural menopause.