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Published on: July 22, 2019
Long distance running and knee osteoarthritis. A prospective study
Eliza F Chakravarty1, Helen B Hubert, Vijaya B Lingala
1Division of Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA. echakravarty@stanford.edu
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
|June 14, 2008
Summary
Long-distance running in healthy older adults did not accelerate knee osteoarthritis (OA) progression over two decades. These findings suggest running may not increase the risk of severe knee OA in this population.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Sports Medicine
- Radiology
Background:
- Previous research on physical activity and knee osteoarthritis (OA) has yielded inconsistent findings.
- Investigating the long-term effects of running on knee OA progression is crucial for public health recommendations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the progression of knee OA in middle- to older-aged long-distance runners versus healthy nonrunners.
- To assess radiographic knee OA changes over nearly two decades.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study followed 45 long-distance runners and 53 controls (mean age 58) from 1984 to 2002.
- Serial knee radiographs were assessed using modified Kellgren & Lawrence methods for Total Knee Score (TKS).
- Multivariate regression analyses controlled for age, gender, BMI, education, and initial radiographic/disability scores.
Main Results:
- At study end, runners showed no significantly higher prevalence of OA (20% vs. 32%) or severe OA (2.2% vs. 9.4%) compared to controls.
- Higher initial BMI, greater initial radiographic damage, and longer follow-up time were associated with worse final radiographic OA.
- No significant associations were found between OA progression and gender, education, prior knee injury, or exercise duration.
Conclusions:
- Long-distance running in healthy older individuals is not linked to accelerated radiographic knee OA.
- These results suggest that running may not increase the risk of developing severe knee OA in this demographic.
