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Age‐ and Occupation‐Based Public Health Considerations Related to Osteoarthritis of the Knee Joint: A Cadaveric Study.
Author(s) -
Immonen Jessica,
Siefring Chris
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.2018.32.1_supplement.640.9
Subject(s) - cadaveric spasm , medicine , osteoarthritis , knee joint , degeneration (medical) , articular cartilage , cartilage , surgery , physical therapy , anatomy , pathology , alternative medicine
Objective Osteoarthritis (OA) literature makes minimal suggestion regarding age of disease onset or preventative strategies to reduce risk for onset in various populations. In 2005, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 33.6% of Americans 65+ years old were affected by OA; this cadaveric analysis suggests this is largely underestimated. The objective of this assessment is to identify at‐risk populations for OA in the knee joint and make recommendations to prevent or delay disease onset. Design Morphometric analyses of the articular cartilage of the tibial plateau were performed on cadaver specimens using Image ProÒ software on three age populations and surface area measurements for articular cartilage degradation were compared to donors' reported ages, clinical histories and occupations. Results Data showed that by the 7 th decade of life, when patients are in their 60s, articular cartilage degeneration on the tibial plateau had commenced in 100% of specimen. All “homemakers” displayed above average medial tibial plateau degeneration (32.33 ± 24.85%) for their age group while simultaneously reporting pathologies in their clinical history that encourage a sedentary lifestyle. Atrophy or degeneration of crucial ligaments supporting the knee can encouraging sheering and cartilage degeneration. Cadaver knee specimens in the 70–79 years old age group displayed a 10.5% decrease in average ACL circumference (mm) compared to the group of <70 years old specimens ( P < 0.001). Conclusions This assessment identifies an occupational class with a propensity to develop disease and also identifies a more realistic time frame than previous advisory committees have produced regarding age of disease onset and initiation of preventative measures. Especially given the ACL thins with aging, it is recommended that strengthening of the hip abductors and the musculature supporting the knee commence early in adult life to avoid valgus collapse and shearing at the knee joint. Support or Funding Information Internal Grant from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal .