Goode AP, et al. - From the Johnston County osteoarthritis Project, researchers examined 1,793 participants to investigate the associations between demographic, appendicular joint osteoarthritis (OA), and clinical characteristics, and to assess if these associations reflect different phenotypes of OA in the lumbar spine. They classified participants as spine OA (SOA), facet joint OA (FOA), both SOA and FOA, or neither SOA nor FOA. In adjusted analyses, African American participants were found to have a decreased risk of FOA, as well as both SOA and FOA. Women were more likely to have FOA. In addition, FOA and both SOA and FOA were evident in correlation to body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m². All three groups (excluding referent group) had knee OA, while lower back injury was associated with only SOA. FOA was less frequently seen in participants with hip OA. Overall, in the lumbar spine, OA phenotypes may differ by race, sex, BMI, hip OA, and lower back injury.