Osteoarthritis year in review 2026: Biomechanics

Altered biomechanics are consistently identified as a modifiable risk factor for osteoarthritis onset and progression. This year-in-review aimed to (i) systematically identify and review biomechanics literature in osteoarthritis published over 12 months, and (ii) generate key themes highlighting current trends in the biomechanics literature.

Systematic searches were conducted in two databases (PubMed and Web of Science) for studies published between April 2025 and April 2026. Studies were included if they involved humans or animals with or at risk of osteoarthritis at any joint and evaluated biomechanical measurements during dynamic movement tasks.

176 studies (seven in animals) were included; most were: (i) conducted in China, Japan, or the United States, (ii) human studies focused on the knee joint, (iii) investigating walking biomechanics, and (iv) cross-sectional in design. Four key themes emerged: (i) clear links between movement patterns and both symptomatic and structural osteoarthritis progression; (ii) increased use of advanced tools for real-world biomechanical assessment; (iii) advanced approaches to identifying movement phenotypes and detecting osteoarthritis; and (iv) growing interest in individualised load-modifying interventions.

Over the past 12 months, evidence has strengthened links between biomechanics and symptomatic and structural osteoarthritis progression, alongside advances in real-world assessment, movement phenotyping, and personalised interventions. Large-scale and real-world biomechanical measurements are becoming increasingly feasible, and biomechanics-informed randomised controlled trials show promise for improving symptoms and slowing structural progression. Connecting scalable biomechanical assessment with clinically meaningful phenotypes and targeted interventions is a key next step toward personalised, mechanism-based osteoarthritis prevention and management.