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Familial effects on structural changes relevant to knee osteoarthritis: a prospective cohort study
1Menzies Research Institute Tasmania, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool Street, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia.
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
|January 18, 2015
Summary
Offspring with a family history of knee osteoarthritis (OA) showed increased medial knee structural damage, including cartilage defects and meniscal issues, over 8-10 years compared to controls. This suggests shared genetic factors influence knee OA progression.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Genetics
- Radiology
Background:
- Genetic predisposition is a known factor in knee osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenesis.
- Specific knee structural changes mediating genetic influence remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare knee structural changes over 8-10 years in offspring with a family history of severe knee OA requiring total knee replacement (TKR) versus controls.
- To identify specific knee structures affected by familial predisposition to OA.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessed knee cartilage defects, bone marrow lesions (BMLs), meniscal extrusion, and tears.
- 115 offspring with a family history were compared to 104 controls.
- Multivariate logistic regression adjusted for confounders.
Main Results:
- Offspring showed significantly greater increases in medial tibiofemoral cartilage defect and meniscal extrusion scores over 10 years.
- A greater increase in medial meniscal tear scores was observed in offspring over 8 years.
- No significant differences in BML changes were found between groups.
Conclusions:
- A family history of knee OA is associated with increased medial knee structural abnormalities.
- These findings suggest pleiotropic familial effects on knee OA progression, excluding bone marrow lesions.
- Targeting medial compartment structures may be beneficial for individuals with a family history of knee OA.
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