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Sports and osteoarthritis
Joseph A Buckwalter1, James A Martin
1Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA. joseph-buckwalter@uiowa.edu
Current Opinion in Rheumatology
|August 18, 2004
Summary
Participating in high-impact sports increases osteoarthritis risk, especially for those with joint issues. Choosing low-impact activities and undergoing joint evaluations can help athletes minimize degeneration risks.
Area of Science:
- Sports medicine
- Orthopedics
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Sports participation offers health benefits but elevates osteoarthritis risk.
- Understanding the link between joint use, injury, and degeneration is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- Analyze the relationship between sports, joint injuries, and post-traumatic osteoarthritis.
- Provide guidance for athletes to minimize joint degeneration risk.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on sports participation, joint loading, and osteoarthritis development.
- Analysis of risk factors associated with joint injury and degeneration in athletes.
Main Results:
- Low-impact sports with normal joint function pose minimal osteoarthritis risk.
- High-impact and torsional loading sports significantly increase injury-induced joint degeneration risk.
- Pre-existing joint abnormalities or injuries heighten susceptibility to athletic joint damage.
Conclusions:
- Minimizing osteoarthritis risk requires understanding sports-joint injury-degeneration pathways.
- Pre-participation joint and neuromuscular evaluations are recommended.
- Athletes with a history of joint injury or mild osteoarthritis should select lower-risk sports.