Glenohumeral osteoarthritis is a leading cause of shoulder pain and disability, but a lack of investigation of glenohumeral osteoarthritis risk factors has resulted in insufficient insights to guide evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies. Our project will leverage multiple existing data resources to determine associations of occupational exposures and genetic variants with osteoarthritis-related shoulder arthroplasty as a measure of end-stage glenohumeral osteoarthritis, and develop prediction models for osteoarthritis-related shoulder arthroplasty. A better understanding of glenohumeral osteoarthritis risk, and factors that contribute to risk, is critically needed to inform design of prevention approaches, provide new insights into osteoarthritis etiology, and improve patient counseling in the future.
Circadian clock disruption may be one mechanism through which aging influences osteoarthritis, and could be a novel, modifiable risk factor for osteoarthritis. To better understand the links between circadian clock disruption, sleep, and osteoarthritis we are evaluating the effects of night shift work, short sleep duration, and poor sleep quality on osteoarthritis risk and examining the influence of other factors (e.g., chronotype, physical work) on these associations. Results from this project will provide a critical step forward in determining if circadian rhythm and sleep are critical factors in the etiology of symptomatic osteoarthritis and can aid in identifying populations that may be most vulnerable to these effects.
