The ACR has named Marc C. Hochberg, MD, MPH, as the principal investigator (PI) for the upcoming, “Guidelines for the Management of Osteoarthritis [OA] of the Hip, Knee, and Hand.” Dr. Hochberg is professor of medicine and epidemiology and preventive medicine and head of the division of rheumatology and clinical immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Dr. Hochberg’s previous research and leadership in this area qualify him to lead this effort. He was in charge of developing the original 1995 ACR recommendations for hip and knee OA, an effort funded by contracts from the ACR and Arthritis Foundation. He also chaired the Subcommittee on OA Guidelines (1998–2000) that revised the 1995 guidelines. Currently, Dr. Hochberg is a member of the OARSI Guidelines Committee and the ACR Practice Guidelines Subcommittee of the Quality Measures Committee.
The ACR last published hip and knee OA in September 2000; these recommendations are available at www.rheumatology.org and include a February 2005 addendum regarding the risk for cardiovascular thrombotic adverse events from COX-2 selective inhibitors. The ACR has not previously published recommendations for managing hand OA.
Dr. Hochberg plans to start the 12-month development process for the upcoming guidelines in January 2008, and the ACR anticipates publishing the final version in the summer of 2009.
