Osteoarthritis of the hip and knee in Saudi Arabia.

The records of 4721 patients, who were registered at a Primary Health Care Centre in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia during a 18 month period, were reviewed. One hundred and sixty-six (3.5%) had osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. The ratio of hip to knee was 1:80 which is very low compared to other populations, and the possible causes for this are discussed.