Collagen and non-collagenous protein content (osteocalcin, sialoprotein, proteoglycan) in the iliac crest bone and serum osteocalcin in women with and without hand osteoarthritis.

Quantitative and qualitative variations in bone composition were studied in postmortem iliac crest bone specimens from 32 women aged 60 to 75, grouped according to the presence of osteoarthritis at the hand joints. The EDTA extraction yield of macromolecules was significantly greater in the osteoarthritis group. Collagen and osteocalcin content were significantly increased and proteoglycan content decreased in the osteoarthritis group. No difference in sialoprotein content was found. In a clinical study of 20 patients with generalised osteoarthritis, we found compared to 15 controls also significantly increased serum levels of osteocalcin. These results indicate in an unselected group of cases that differences in bone matrix constituents exist between elderly women with and without an osteoarthritic constitution. The finding that these alterations are present even far away from the articular lesion, and the fact that the serum osteocalcin levels are elevated, indicate that osteoarthritis is part of a more generalised bone disease and not a purely cartilage disease.