Distribution, severity, and management of joint pain in patients with acromegaly.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The acromegaly-associated arthropathy (AcAA) is a determinant of long-term impaired quality of life. There are limited data assessing the impact of arthropathy, determinants of future arthropathy, and current management. DESIGN: Multicentre cross-sectional questionnaire study of arthropathy in 6 UK endocrine centres. METHOD(S): The study incorporated questionnaires relating to distribution of arthralgia, severity of pain, and clinical management of AcAA. Demographics and laboratory data were extracted from medical records. RESULT(S): We enrolled 411 patients (210 female, median 60, IQR 50-69 years) and median 13 (IQR 6-22) years since diagnosis. Joint pain was reported by 82.5%, with 43.3% and 13.1% experiencing moderate and severe joint pain respectively. The most frequently affected joints were knees (54.7%), lower back (47.7%), hips (38.9%), and shoulders (38.6%). Two hundred and forty-seven (60.1%) were taking at least one analgesic, 137 (33.3%) at least 2 classes of analgesics. One hundred and nine (26.5%) patients had at least one joint injection (median 2, 1-20). Seventy (17.0%) had at least one joint prosthesis (median 2, 1-6), at median age 59 (32-82) years. A similar percentage (17.0%) had other forms of joint surgery. Patients aged <=50 years experienced less pain, required fewer joint injections and less joint surgery, but a similar prevalence of analgesic use, with 36.4% and 10.3% reporting moderate or severe pain. CONCLUSION(S): This study therefore highlights the burden of arthropathy in patients with acromegaly, estimates the need for therapeutic interventions, and the impact on health services. Copyright © The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Society of Endocrinology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site-for further information please contact