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Utilization of medications for neuropathic pain in patients with and without knee and hip osteoarthritis in Sweden : A population-based cohort study

Hellberg, Clara LU ; Turkiewicz, Aleksandra LU ; Sundquist, Kristina LU ; Dell'Isola, Andrea LU orcid ; Appleyard, Tom ; Yu, Dahai ; Thomas, Geraint ; Peat, George and Englund, Martin LU orcid (2026) In Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open 8(3).
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Use of neuropathic pain medications is increasing in OA patients, but it is unclear if this is driven by OA-specific use or presence of comorbidities. We aimed to investigate the use of neuropathic pain medications attributable to knee and hip OA pain.

DESIGN: We included all residents aged ≥35 years of the Skåne region, Sweden, in 2018. After exclusions, 645,991 individuals remained, where 81,606 had diagnosed knee and/or hip OA. We compared prevalence of dispensed neuropathic pain medications between those with and without OA using logistic regression (odds ratios approximated risk ratios [RR]), adjusting for comorbidities associated with use of such medications. We interpreted any higher prevalence remaining after... (More)

OBJECTIVE: Use of neuropathic pain medications is increasing in OA patients, but it is unclear if this is driven by OA-specific use or presence of comorbidities. We aimed to investigate the use of neuropathic pain medications attributable to knee and hip OA pain.

DESIGN: We included all residents aged ≥35 years of the Skåne region, Sweden, in 2018. After exclusions, 645,991 individuals remained, where 81,606 had diagnosed knee and/or hip OA. We compared prevalence of dispensed neuropathic pain medications between those with and without OA using logistic regression (odds ratios approximated risk ratios [RR]), adjusting for comorbidities associated with use of such medications. We interpreted any higher prevalence remaining after adjustment as being compatible with possible OA-related use. Due to interaction effect, males and females were studied separately.

RESULTS: Among OA females, crude prevalence of dispensed neuropathic pain medications was highest among 45-54-year-olds (4.0%), with a decreasing prevalence toward 75-84-year-olds (2.3%) compared to 1.5% in non-OA females. After adjusting for comorbidities, the RR for females with vs without OA was 1.4 (95% CI 1.3-1.6) at age 50 and 1.0 (95% CI 0.9-1.1) at age 80. Males had similar prevalence of use across ages, 1.5% in persons with OA and 0.8% in persons without. After adjustment for comorbidities there was no association between OA and neuropathic medication dispensations (RR 1.0; 95% CI 0.9-1.1).

CONCLUSION: In particular, middle-aged OA females may use neuropathic pain medications for treatment of OA-related pain, as increased prescribing remained after adjusting for relevant comorbidities.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open
volume
8
issue
3
article number
100856
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:105047812769
  • pmid:42668447
ISSN
2665-9131
DOI
10.1016/j.ocarto.2026.100856
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
© 2026 The Authors.
id
0331dfa3-d19e-4bb6-8f90-8b6d1f3fd10f
date added to LUP
2026-10-02 10:04:17
date last changed
2026-10-03 04:01:55
@article{0331dfa3-d19e-4bb6-8f90-8b6d1f3fd10f,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVE: Use of neuropathic pain medications is increasing in OA patients, but it is unclear if this is driven by OA-specific use or presence of comorbidities. We aimed to investigate the use of neuropathic pain medications attributable to knee and hip OA pain.</p><p>DESIGN: We included all residents aged ≥35 years of the Skåne region, Sweden, in 2018. After exclusions, 645,991 individuals remained, where 81,606 had diagnosed knee and/or hip OA. We compared prevalence of dispensed neuropathic pain medications between those with and without OA using logistic regression (odds ratios approximated risk ratios [RR]), adjusting for comorbidities associated with use of such medications. We interpreted any higher prevalence remaining after adjustment as being compatible with possible OA-related use. Due to interaction effect, males and females were studied separately.</p><p>RESULTS: Among OA females, crude prevalence of dispensed neuropathic pain medications was highest among 45-54-year-olds (4.0%), with a decreasing prevalence toward 75-84-year-olds (2.3%) compared to 1.5% in non-OA females. After adjusting for comorbidities, the RR for females with vs without OA was 1.4 (95% CI 1.3-1.6) at age 50 and 1.0 (95% CI 0.9-1.1) at age 80. Males had similar prevalence of use across ages, 1.5% in persons with OA and 0.8% in persons without. After adjustment for comorbidities there was no association between OA and neuropathic medication dispensations (RR 1.0; 95% CI 0.9-1.1).</p><p>CONCLUSION: In particular, middle-aged OA females may use neuropathic pain medications for treatment of OA-related pain, as increased prescribing remained after adjusting for relevant comorbidities.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hellberg, Clara and Turkiewicz, Aleksandra and Sundquist, Kristina and Dell'Isola, Andrea and Appleyard, Tom and Yu, Dahai and Thomas, Geraint and Peat, George and Englund, Martin}},
  issn         = {{2665-9131}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open}},
  title        = {{Utilization of medications for neuropathic pain in patients with and without knee and hip osteoarthritis in Sweden : A population-based cohort study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocarto.2026.100856}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ocarto.2026.100856}},
  volume       = {{8}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}