Background: Kashin-Beck Disease (KBD) is an endemic osteochondropathy. The disease starts in childhood and attacks the growth of joint cartilage, the joints become deformed and painful, and the worst forms result in dwarfism. The most frequent joints involved are the finger, wrist, ankles, knees and elbows. In this study the pattern of joints involved in KBD was studied. Methods: A total of 368 patients aged above 13 from 6 villages in endemic areas of the Shaanxi province, located in the northwest of China, were selected through multistage stratified sampling.
The patients were diagnosed based on the clinical criteria for diagnosis of KBD. The patients were administered with a battery of questionnaires along with clinical examination for joint involvement. Results: The patients presented both as oligoarticular as well as polyarticular pattern. Smaller joints were more frequently…
