The study revealed obesity and body weight as the notable reasons behind early joint damage. Here’s what you need to know.
A new study led by Joona Tapio and Antti Kemppainen from the University of Oulu proposes that knee joints can undertake silent worsening long before any pain appears. This may explicate why many 33-year-olds already show signs of cartilage vandalism in their knees notwithstanding experiencing no uneasiness.
Published in the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, the study found that structural impairment in the knees is unexpectedly common among adults in their 30s—even in those with no indications. Actually, nearly two-thirds of the young adults studied had cartilage impairment or bone growths that had imaginably developed over years or even decades, all without any perceptible pain.
Findings of the Study
Dr. Aashish Arbat, a knee replacement doctor in Pune mentions that the study was conducted by analysing MRI scans of 288 participants (about 61% women) with an average age of 33.7 years from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986. To comprehend the patterns better, the study choose participants from Finland’s two northernmost provinces, born between July 1985 and June 1986. Comprehensive clinical evaluations, laboratory analyses, and knee MRIs of the participants were studied
Though most of the participants mentioned no signs of pain, they were asked which knee bothered them more. The MRI scans of that knee were studied. Generally, structural changes were noticed in those knees. Half of the participants had impairment in the cartilage where the kneecap meets the thigh bone, while a quarter of the participants appeared damaged where the thigh bone meetings the shin bone.
What Causes Early Joint Changes?
Dr. Arbat, a knee specialist in Pune mentions that the study authors explicate that one of the necessary factors that can drive joint changes is body weight. Body Mass Index was observed to be one of the driving forces behind soaring rates and extremity of knee damages.
Another component that drives joint changes is uplifted blood urate levels and systolic blood pressure. A family history of knee osteoarthritis was also observed to have an influence.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only. This not a replacement for professional medical advice. Always look for the guidance of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
