OBJECTIVES: Osteoarthritis is a common subtype of musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) among older adults. It is associated with increased swelling, inflammation, decreased range of motion, and joint instability with significant implications on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study compared HRQoL of patients with osteoarthritis and other types of MSDs.

METHODS: The nationally representative study sample was selected from the 2011-2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). This cross-sectional study compared the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores of osteoarthritis patients (ICD10 M15-M19 and ICD9 715-716) and other MSDs patients 50 years and older of age. An inverse probability of treatment weighted (IPTW) regression analysis was conducted to control for sociodemographic and clinical factors to assess the marginal HRQoL burden associated with osteoarthritis compared to other MSDs.

RESULTS: The study included 19,677 unweighted patients representing 214 million osteoarthritis patients and 46,114 unweighted patients representing 507 million other MSD patients. Most of the patients with osteoarthritis were non-Hispanic white (69.6%), female (62.4%), and working in white-collar jobs (45.5%). The mean PCS and MCS were 36.17 (SE:0.19) and 46.60 (SE:0.19), respectively, in osteoarthritis patients, while in the other MSD patients, the PCS and MCS scores were 40.28 (SE:0.17) and 46.50 (SE:0.16), respectively. The IPTW regression analysis found that osteoarthritis patients had a 4.87 (SE:0.30) unit lower PCS score compared to patients with other MSD (43.03 (SE:0.20)). However, the MCS score did not differ between osteoarthritis patients and other MSD patients.