Patients suffering from hip (n = 58) or knee (n = 117) osteoarthritis and matched controls (n = 19) were enrolled in this study. Patients underwent physical examination and standard radiographic evaluation before blood sampling.
The serum levels of osteoprotegerin were positively correlated with age in all groups, whereas those of osteocalcin in the ‘knee’ group only. Osteoarthritis' severity and location did not have a statistically significant impact on the mean serum level of any marker in both groups.
Based on our results, none of the studied markers can serve as a surrogate for radiographic imaging in patients suffering from hip and knee osteoarthritis.