A Systematic Review of the Incidence, Prevalence, Costs, and Activity/Work Limitations of Amputation, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Back Pain, Multiple Sclerosis, Spinal Cord Injury, Stroke, and Traumatic Brain Injury in the United States: A 2019 Update

Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 2021 · DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2020.04.001 · Published: January 1, 2021

Simple Explanation

This review looks at how common certain long-term health conditions are in the US. These conditions include amputation, arthritis, back pain, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. The review also looks at how much these conditions cost, and how they limit people's activities and ability to work. The researchers looked at studies and other information published up to 2019. They focused on data from the US and graded the quality of the studies to find the most reliable information. This helps to provide a clearer picture for policymakers, researchers, and doctors. Back pain and osteoarthritis are the most common and costly conditions. Other conditions, while less common, can have a significant impact on individuals. The review highlights the need for better research and standardized methods to fully understand the impact of these conditions.

Study Duration

Not specified

Participants

Data from multiple studies and databases

Evidence Level

Systematic Review

Key Findings

1
Back pain affects 33.9% of adults, costing $365 billion in medical expenses, while osteoarthritis affects 10.4% of the population, costing $460 billion.
2
Stroke prevalence ranges from 2.5% to 3.7%, resulting in $28 billion in medical costs.
3
Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, though less prevalent, have high per capita medical costs compared to osteoarthritis.

Research Summary

This systematic review provides updated evidence on the prevalence, incidence, costs, activity limitations, and work limitations of common conditions requiring rehabilitation, building on previous work and grading the quality of available evidence. Back pain and osteoarthritis are identified as the most prevalent conditions with large aggregate medical costs, while other conditions have lower prevalence or cost but relatively higher per capita costs and effects on activity and work. The review highlights the need for more robust, standardized studies to guide policymakers' and researchers' approach to conditions frequently requiring rehabilitation, given the considerable methodological variability and subtlety in the available information.

Practical Implications

Policy Implications

Policymakers can use the data to prioritize resource allocation for prevalent and costly conditions like back pain and osteoarthritis, while also addressing the needs of individuals with less common but high-impact conditions.

Research Directions

Researchers should focus on standardizing methodologies and conducting more robust studies to improve the comparability and generalizability of data across different conditions.

Clinical Practice

Clinicians can use the information to better understand the burden of various conditions and tailor interventions to address both the aggregate and per capita effects on patients' activity, work, and overall well-being.

Study Limitations

1
Conditions are treated in isolation, without considering comorbidities.
2
Data used may be older than the publication date of the review.
3
Studies varied widely in methodology, disease definitions, and data availability.

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