RESEARCH - Weight loss may not help prevent progression of knee OA with varus alignment

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Weight Loss May Not Help Prevent Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis

With Varus Alignment

March 13, 2009 — Weight loss may not help prevent progression of knee

osteoarthritis (OA) in patients with varus alignment, according to the

results of a longitudinal study reported in the March 15 issue of

Arthritis Care & Research.

" Obesity is a strong risk factor for incident (new-onset) tibiofemoral

knee...OA, " write J. Niu, from Boston University School of Medicine in

Boston, Massachusetts, and colleagues. " However, in knees that already

show evidence of OA, findings on the relationship between body mass

index (BMI) and OA progression are inconsistent. "

The goal of this study was to determine whether obesity is associated

with an increased risk for progression of knee OA, using data from

persons with or at high risk for knee OA who were enrolled in the

Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study. At baseline and at 30 months,

posteroanterior fixed-flexion radiographs and Kellgren/Lawrence (K/L)

grading were used to characterize OA, defined as K/L grade 2 or 3.

Alignment was determined on full-extremity films.

Progression in knees with OA at baseline was defined as tibiofemoral

joint space narrowing on the 30-month radiograph. In knees without OA

at baseline, defined as K/L grade 0 or 1, incident OA was defined as

radiographic evidence of OA (K/L grade 2 or 3) at 30 months. Based on

BMI at baseline, patients were classified as normal weight (< 25

kg/m2), overweight (25 to < 30 kg/m2), obese (30 to < 35 kg/m2), and

very obese (> 35 kg/m2). The risk for progression was evaluated in all

knees, as well as in subgroups based on alignment, and analyses were

adjusted for age, sex, knee injury, and bone density.

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Read the entire article here:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/589632

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