Identification of factors associated with the development of knee osteoarthritis in a young to middle-aged cohort of patients with knee complaints

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for knee osteoarthritis (OA) development in a young to middle-aged population with sub-acute knee complaints. This, in order to define high risk patients who may benefit from early preventive or future disease modifying therapies. Knee OA development visible on radiographs and MR in 319 patients (mean age 41.5 years) 10 years after sub-acute knee complaints and subjective knee function (KOOS score) was studied. Associations between OA development and age, gender, activity level, BMI, meniscal or anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) lesions, OA in first-degree relatives and radiographic hand OA were determined using multivariable logistic regression analysis. OA on radiographs and MR in the TFC is associated with increased age (OR: 1.10, 95 % 1.04-1.16 and OR: 1.07, 95 % 1.02-1.13). TFC OA on radiographs only is associated with ACL and/or meniscal lesions (OR: 5.01, 95 % 2.14-11.73), presence of hand OA (OR: 4.69, 95 % 1.35-16.32) and higher Tegner activity scores at baseline before the complaints (OR: 1.20, 95 % 1.01-1.43). The presence of OA in the TFC diagnosed only on MRI is associated with a family history of OA (OR: 2.44, 95 % 1.18-5.06) and a higher BMI (OR: 1.13, 95 % 1.04-1.23). OA in the PFC diagnosed on both radiographs and MR is associated with an increased age (OR: 1.06, 95 % 1.02-1.12 and OR: 1.05, 95 % 1.00-1.09). PFC OA diagnosed on radiographs only is associated with a higher BMI (OR: 1.12, 95 % 1.02-1.22). The presence of OA in the PFC diagnosed on MR only is associated with the presence of hand OA (OR: 3.39, 95 % 1.10-10.50). Compared to normal reference values, the study population had significantly lower KOOS scores in the different subscales. These results show that knee OA development in young to middle aged patients with a history of sub-acute knee complaints is associated with the presence of known risk factors for knee OA. OA is already visible on radiographs and MRI after 10 years. These high risk patients may benefit from adequate OA management early in life.

Risk of knee osteoarthritis after different types of knee injuries in young adults: a population-based cohort study

“…We believe that there are two plausible explanations for this. First, the young individuals who develop knee OA without injury probably have other strong susceptibility or risk factors for knee OA, for example, genetic contribution or obesity 23 24. Therefore, it seems that the mechanism/process to develop knee OA is ‘initiated’ through injury, but the process itself is not necessarily faster compared with other risk factors in young individuals.…”

Effects and safety of the combination of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid (HA) in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…KOA is a disease that can cause lower extremity disability, reduce the quality of life of patients, and seriously affect the physical and mental health of middle-aged and elderly people [24]. With the ageing of the population, KOA will gradually become a common and frequently occurring disease, which is a major challenge that health systems in various countries need to meet [25]. The pathogenesis of KOA is still unclear, and there is still no continuous and effective conservative treatment [10].…”

Defining multiple joint osteoarthritis, its frequency and impact in a community-based cohort

“…By inclusion of these data, investigators assessed clinical burden in those with MJOA in terms of pain, frailty, HRQoL, and limitations in activities of daily living (ADL). Also, 6 studies discussed the hypothesis that MJOA arises from a systemic etiology, based on clinical and/or biomolecular findings such as metabolic syndrome, fat-free mass, serum S100A8/A9 (proinflammatory protein) levels, serum hyaluronic acid (sHA) levels, and subchondral bone attrition [9,[17][18][19][20][21]. For example, in a retrospective cadaveric study of 710 skeletons, sHA levels were found to have a positive correlation with the number of involved joints [20].…”