1. EULAR Study Group on Osteoarthritis
What is osteoarthritis?
Aim
The purpose of the EULAR Study Group on OA (SGOA) is to encourage wider communication within the EULAR for scientists and clinicians with a specific interest in the etiopathogenesis of OA and to build an international network to facilitate collaboration and to exchange knowledge within Europe. The group aims to promote fundamental and translational research, from molecule to population, on the etiopathogenesis of OA with the ultimate goal to develop effective therapies for OA to diminish the OA-related burden for man and society. The group provides an encouraging and open forum that enables scientist and clinicians to stimulate EU collaborations. The group intends to assemble annually at the EULAR & EWRR meetings and communicates electronically in between meetings as required.
The specific aims of the study group on OA are:
1. To integrate different know-how and skills to study the pathophysiology of the OA disease process
2. To exchange knowledge and to standardize both in vitro and in vivo models used to study OA pathobiology
3. To develop intervention protocols based upon an understanding of and targeting of validated OA disease mechanisms
4. To provide a forum for the OA research community across the EULAR member countries to share ideas and identify priorities
Patient perspective
Scientist perspective
Facilitate national and international funding OA research
ITN project -InflamOAtion
Alter the perception of OA as a simple, inevitable wear and tear disease by health care providers, patients and general public.
Activities
For the great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived, and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive…
John F. Kennedy (1962)
Myths about OA
OA is just wear and tear of cartilage, if you use it tears down, like a tire
OA is just old age, if you get older you get it, inevitable
Nothing can be done for OA, just learn to live with it
Medical imaging predicts how much pain or trouble functioning the person is having
OA patients worry when diagnosed with OA that it is inevitable that they are going to need surgery (5% gets this).
Implications
Myths of wear and tear withholds patients from doing exercises
Resting relieves pain, so patients rest
Inadeqate use of (pain) medication
- More difficult to get funding (Netherlands 70% of money charity comes from OA patients)
The position of OA as a Rheumatic Disease in the European Rheumatological
community of Rheumatologists.
How is this perception and position, is this how we want it?
If not, how can we change this?
Viewpoint RMD Open 2016 May 26;2(1):e000224
Translation of clinical problems in osteoarthritis into pathophysiological research goals
Peter M van der Kraan, Francis Berenbaum, Francisco J Blanco, de Bari Cosimo, Floris Lafeber, Ellen Hauge, Adele Higginbottom, Andreea Ioan-Facsinay, John Loughlin, Ingrid Meulenbelt, Eeva Moilanen, Irene Pitsillidou, Aspasia Tsezou, Joyce van Meurs, Tonia Vincent, Ruth Wittoek, Rik Lories.
On behalf of the EULAR Study group in OA (
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) accounts for more disability among the elderly than any other disease and is associated with an increased mortality rate. The prevalence in Europe will rise in the future since this continent has a strongly ageing population and an obesity epidemic; obesity and age both being major risk factors for OA. No adequate therapeutic options, besides joint replacement, are available, although they are greatly needed and should be acquired by adequate research investments. However, the perspective on OA from a researcher's point of view is not always aligned with the perspective of a patient with OA. Researchers base their views on OA mainly on abnormalities in structure and function while patients consider OA as a collection of symptoms. In this viewpoint paper, we discuss the possibility of translating the most important clinical problems into pathophysiological research goals to facilitate the translation from bench to bedside and vice versa. This viewpoint is the outcome of a dialogue within the ‘European League Against Rheumatism study group on OA’ and People with Arthritis/Rheumatism across Europe (PARE) representatives.
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