Forearm bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteoarthritis of the knee

[The сhanges of bone mineral density on the risk of progression of osteoarthritis of the knee]

AIM

To find the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and risk of knee OA progression in a 5-year prospective study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

110 females with knee OA were examined twice with 5-year interval. Examination included filling questionnaires, VAS pain assessment, plain knee radiography and axial skeleton densitometry. I stage knee OA was established in 33 (30%) patients, II stage - in 46 (41.8%), III stage - in 26 (23.6%), and IV - in 5 (4.5%). Normal lumbar vertebrae densitometry BMD values were found in 45 patients (40.9%), osteopenia - corresponding BMD values - in 33 (30.0%), and osteoporosis - in 32 (29.1%). Normal femoral neck BMD values were identified in 60 (54.5%) patients, osteopenia - level BMD - in 48 (43.7%), osteoporosis - in 2 (1.8%). In all premenopausal patients (n=15) axial skeleton BMD values were normal.

RESULTS

In 5-year interval radiographic progression was established in 40 patients (Group 2), while in 70 (Group 1) patients no progression occurred. Both groups were comparable in terms of age and disease duration, although, more patients from Group 2 tended to have normal baseline densitometry BMD values - both in lumbar vertebrae and femoral neck: 47.5% vs 37.1%, and 62.5% vs 44.3% as compared to Group 1 patients. Patients from Group 1 more often had BMD values corresponding to osteoporosis and osteopenia: 32.9% vs 22.5%, and 55.7% vs 37.5%, respectively, as compared to Group 2 patients, although not achieving statistical significance. These differences were still identifiable after 5-year interval. Absolute BMD values at the second examination in 5 years were indicative of statistically significant increase in femoral neck and total hip BMD in Group 2 patients with knee OA progression: 0.79±0.11 vs 0.73±0.16, р.

Association between bone mineral density and knee osteoarthritis in Koreans: the Fourth and Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to investigate the association of hip and lumbar spine (LS) bone mineral density (BMD) with the presence and severity of radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA), including both men and women over 50 years of age, while adjusting for potential confounders.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional data from 5793 community-dwelling subjects (2491 men and 3302 women) aged ≥ 50 years in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) were analyzed. BMDs for femoral neck (FN), total hip (TH), and LS were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Radiographic changes relating to OA were assessed using the Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grading scale. The mean BMD, according to the presence of knee OA (KL grade ≥ 2) and the KL grades, were analyzed using the general linear models (GLM) adjusted for anthropometric and biochemical confounders.

RESULTS

Adjusted FN and LS BMD were significantly higher in subjects with knee OA (P = 0.036 and P = 0.001, respectively). Within the subjects with knee OA (KL grades 2, 3 and 4), adjusted FN and TH BMD decreased as the KL grades increased, while the adjusted LS BMD was not different. Among the subjects with KL grades of 0, 1 and 2, FN, TH and LS BMD increased as the KL grades increased. These inverted U-shaped associations between adjusted FN and TH BMD and KL grades were presented in both men and women. The proportion of osteoporosis (OP) was as high as 39.5% among subjects with KL grade 4.

CONCLUSION

There is an inverse relationship between OP and the presence of knee OA, but there is a non-linear and site-specific association between OP and the severity of knee OA. The relationship between the two diseases has to take into account potential covariates.

Relation between phalangeal bone mineral density and radiographic knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study

Background

Major reports have suggested that bone mineral density (BMD) is higher in patients with osteoarthritis (OA), while other studies do not agree. Our aim was to examine the cross-sectional association between phalangeal BMD and radiographic knee OA.

Methods

A total of 2855 participants were included in this study. Radiographic knee OA was defined as Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) Grade ≥ 2 in at least one leg. BMD scans of the middle phalanges of the second, third and fourth digits of the nondominant hand were performed with a compact radiographic absorptiometry system (Alara MetriScan®). A multivariable logistic analysis model was applied to test the relation between phalangeal BMD with radiographic knee OA, the presence of knee osteophytes (OSTs), and knee joint space narrowing (JSN) after adjusting for a number of potential confounding factors.

Results

The multivariable-adjusted odds ratios with 95 % confidence intervals [ORs (95 % CI)] of radiographic knee OA across phalangeal BMDs were 1.08 (95 % CI 0.89–1.32) and 0.62 (95 % CI 0.45–0.86), respectively. The P for trend was 0.09. For the female population, the multivariable-adjusted ORs (95 % CI) of radiographic knee OA across phalangeal BMD were 1.01 (95 % CI 0.73–1.37) and 0.58 (95 % CI 0.38 − 0.87), respectively. The P for trend was 0.02. This positive finding, however, did not exist in the male subgroup. There was a significantly lower prevalence of OST in the osteoporosis (OP) group than in the normal group (OR = 0.59, 95 % CI 0.40–0.88; P for trend was 0.01). In contrast, the prevalence of JSN was significantly higher in the osteopenia group (OR = 1.22, 95 % CI 1.00–1.48) and the OP group (OR = 1.35, 95 % CI 1.00–1.84) than in the normal group. The P for trend was 0.02.

Conclusions

This study observed lower odds for the presence of radiographic knee OA and OST in OP patients than in normal subjects. The prevalence of JSN was higher in the osteopenia and OP groups than in normal subjects.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12891-016-0918-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Diametrical diseases reflect evolutionary-genetic tradeoffs: Evidence from psychiatry, neurology, rheumatology, oncology and immunology

Tradeoffs centrally mediate the expression of human adaptations. We propose that tradeoffs also influence the prevalence and forms of human maladaptation manifest in disease. By this logic, increased risk for one set of diseases commonly engenders decreased risk for another, diametric, set of diseases. We describe evidence for such diametric sets of diseases from epidemiological, genetic and molecular studies in four clinical domains: (i) psychiatry (autism vs psychotic-affective conditions), (ii) rheumatology (osteoarthritis vs osteoporosis), (iii) oncology and neurology (cancer vs neurodegenerative disorders) and (iv) immunology (autoimmunity vs infectious disease). Diametric disorders are important to recognize because genotypes or environmental factors that increase risk for one set of disorders protect from opposite disorders, thereby providing novel and direct insights into disease causes, prevention and therapy. Ascertaining the mechanisms that underlie disease-related tradeoffs should also indicate means of circumventing or alleviating them, and thus reducing the incidence and impacts of human disease in a more general way.

Evaluation of femoral neck bone mineral density and radiographic hand and knee osteoarthritis in a Korean elderly population

BACKGROUND

Reports on the relationship between osteoporosis and osteoarthritis (OA) have tended to disagree, especially in non-weight bearing joints such as the hand joints. We aimed to investigate the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and hand and knee OA in a general Korean elderly population.

METHODS

We evaluated femur neck BMD and the hand and knee radiographs of 143 men and 123 women over 65 years of age who participated in a population-based cohort study. The Kellgren-Lawrence criteria for grading OA were implemented, and grade 2 or higher were categorized as radiographic OA. BMD was compared according to the existence of radiographic OA in the hand and knee using analysis of covariance, and correlation analyses were performed to explore the relationship between BMD and radiographic OA grade.

RESULTS

After controlling for age and body mass index, there was no significant difference in BMD between participants with and without hand OA (p = 0.717 in male and p = 0.862 in female), between those with and without knee OA (p = 0.974 in male and p = 0.563 in female), and between those with only hand OA and those with only knee OA (p = 0.920 in male and p = 0.961 in female). Furthermore, there was no significant correlation between BMD and the radiographic OA grade of the hands (p = 0.182 in male and p = 0.897 in female) and knees (p = 0.245 in male and p = 0.098 in female).

CONCLUSIONS

In our cohort of the general Korean elderly population, no association was found between osteoporosis and OA, regardless of the weight bearing status of the joints.

Serum leptin concentration positively correlates with body weight and total fat mass in postmenopausal Japanese women with osteoarthritis of the knee

The objective of the present study was to identify factors correlated with the serum leptin concentration in women with knee OA. Fifty postmenopausal Japanese women with knee OA (age: 50-88 years) were recruited in our outpatient clinic. Plain radiographs of the knee were taken, and urine and blood samples were collected. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning was performed for the whole body and lumbar spine, and factors correlated with the serum leptin concentration were identified. A simple linear regression analysis showed that body weight, body mass index, whole-body bone mineral density (BMD), total fat mass, and total fat percentage, but not age, height, lumbar spine BMD, lean body mass, serum and urinary bone turnover markers, or the radiographic grade of knee OA, were significantly correlated with the serum leptin concentration. A multiple regression analysis showed that among these factors, only body weight and total fat mass exhibited a significant positive correlation with the serum leptin concentration. These results suggest that the serum leptin concentration might be related to increases in body weight and total fat mass, but not to BMD or bone turnover markers, in postmenopausal women with OA.

No clear association between female hormonal aspects and osteoarthritis of the hand, hip and knee: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

Incidence of OA rises steeply in women of age >50 years; the climacteric period for women. The simultaneous occurrence of these events suggests an association between OA and changes in female hormonal aspects. This systematic review studies the assumed association between OA and aspects concerning the fertile period (duration, endogenous hormones, age at menarche/menopause) and the menopause [menopausal status, years since menopause (YSM) and surgical menopause].

METHODS

Medline and EMBASE were searched for articles assessing associations between hand/hip/knee OA and female hormonal aspects. Methodological quality was assessed systematically, and results were summarized in a best-evidence synthesis.

RESULTS

Sixteen studies were included in the present study. For most hormonal aspects no association was found. Conflicting evidence was found for an association of age at menarche with Herberden's nodes (HNs) and hand ROA, YSM with knee ROA and ovariectomy with hip OA. An increased risk was seen for low estradiol serum levels in the early follicular phase with incident knee ROA, age at menarche being < or =11 years old with total hip replacement, being post-menopausal and YSM with the presence of HN. A protective effect was seen for age at menopause being > or =52 years with total knee replacement. Evidence level was limited for all.

CONCLUSIONS

The assumed relationship between the female hormonal aspects and OA was not clearly observed in this review. The relationship is perhaps too complex, or other aspects, yet to be determined, play a role in the increased incidence in women aged >50 years.

Lower bone mineral density of forearm in postmenopausal patients with radiographic hand osteoarthritis

The association between clinical parameters and forearm bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal females with radiographic hand OA has not been determined. We investigated the difference in forearm BMD between radiographic hand OA and non-radiographic hand OA, and also the association between clinical parameters of patients and the level of forearm BMD. A total of 180 postmenopausal patients with hand OA were enrolled in this study. We classified them into two groups according to the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) radiological grade, one with radiographic hand OA (K-L grade > or = 2) and the other with non-radiographic OA (K-L grade < 2) as controls. The number of nodal joints, swollen joints and tender joints were determined in the physical examination, and measures of BMD (g/cm(2)), Australian Canadian (AUSCAN) OA hand index, grip strength, pinch strength, and visual analogue scale (VAS) were also estimated. Patients with radiographic hand OA had lower distal radius BMD when compared with controls (0.35 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.40 +/- 0.05, P < 0.001). After adjusting for variables such as age, menopausal duration, number of nodal joints, and AUSCAN function index, the difference in BMD between the two groups was also significantly different (0.35 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.38 +/- 0.04, P < 0.001). For analysis of risk factors for forearm BMD in hand OA, age and K-L OA grade in total hand OA are considered risk factors, whereas age and menopause duration contribute to the forearm BMD in radiographic hand OA patients (P < 0.001, P = 0.002, respectively). The development of osteoporosis at the distal radius in radiographic hand OA is associated with older age (OR = 1.216, P = 0.002), lower BMI (OR = 0.777, P = 0.004) and lower stiffness in the AUSCAN OA index (OR = 0.505, P = 0.003). This study shows that the BMD levels of the distal radius in patients with radiographic hand OA are significantly lower when compared to those of controls. Forearm BMD levels are positively associated with age and K-L radiological grade in total hand OA, whereas age and menopausal duration are closely related with radiographic hand OA. The presence of osteoporosis in the distal radius in radiographic hand OA may be influenced by age, BMI, and stiffness on the AUSCAN index.

Prevalence and risk factors for knee osteoarthritis in elderly Japanese men and women

BACKGROUND

The aims of the present study were to examine the prevalence and risk factors for knee osteoarthritis in elderly Japanese men and women.

METHODS

We examined 598 of the 1513 inhabitants of Miyagawa village aged > or = 65 years (393 women, 205 men). Baseline data, obtained with standard questionnaires, included information on age, past history, sports activity, working, knee pain, smoking, and intakes of alcohol and milk. Bone mineral density of the forearm was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Anteroposterior radiographs of both knees were graded for osteoarthritis using the Kellgren-Lawrence grading system. Definite osteoarthritis was defined as a grade of 2 or higher. We used logistic regression analysis by the stepwise method to determine the risk factors for radiographic knee osteoarthritis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of definite radiographic knee osteoarthritis was 30.0% overall: 17.7% in men and 36.5% in women. The prevalence of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis was 21.2% overall: 10.7% in men and 26.7% in women. There were significant differences in the risk of radiographic knee osteoarthritis with body mass index (BMI), sex, age, and bone mineral density (BMD).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of definite radiographic knee osteoarthritis was 30.0% and that of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis was 21.2%. We found that higher BMI, female sex, older age, and higher BMD were significantly associated with an increased risk for radiographic knee osteoarthritis.

Bone mineral density in patients with hand osteoarthritis compared to population controls and patients with rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVES

Several studies have revealed increased bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis, but few studies have addressed this issue in hand osteoarthritis (HOA). The aims of this study were to compare BMD levels and frequency of osteoporosis between female patients with HOA, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and controls aged 50-70 years, and to explore possible relationships between BMD and disease characteristics in patients with HOA.

METHODS

190 HOA and 194 RA patients were recruited from the respective disease registers in Oslo, and 122 controls were selected from the population register of Oslo. All participants underwent BMD measurements of femoral neck, total hip and lumbar spine (dual-energy x ray absorptiometry), interview, clinical joint examination and completed self-reported questionnaires.

RESULTS

Age-, weight- and height-adjusted BMD values were significantly higher in HOA versus RA and controls, the latter only significant for femoral neck and lumbar spine. The frequency of osteoporosis was not significantly different between HOA and controls, but significantly lower in HOA versus RA. Adjusted BMD values did not differ between HOA patients with and without knee OA, and significant associations between BMD levels and symptom duration or disease measures were not observed.

CONCLUSION

HOA patients have a higher BMD than population-based controls, and this seems not to be limited to patients with involvement of larger joints. The lack of correlation between BMD and disease duration or severity does not support the hypothesis that higher BMD is a consequence of the disease itself.

Are bone losers distinguishable from bone formers in a skeletal series? Implications for adult age at death assessment methods

Clinical studies indicate that genetic factors play a crucial role in primary osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. In addition, it has been suggested that these two diseases are inversely related. Within a population, one can find two sub-groups: the "bone formers" and the "bone losers". The changes to the joint surfaces used to assess adult age at death are related to the loss of bone substance and to bone formation (osteophytes). The modification of these indicators with age differs between bone formers and bone losers. Therefore, age-at-death assessment methods should make use of two standards, one for each sub-group. A preliminary study examining the possibility of distinguishing those who lose cortical bone from those who show signs of bony formation was conducted on a series of skeletons from Portugal, dating to the end of 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. Bone loss was evaluated using the cortical index (CI) of the second metacarpal on X-rays. The presence of osteophytes on dry bones was assessed macroscopically. Our study indicates that females' CI decreases with age, whereas the presence of osteophytes is strongly related to age in both sexes. But we have failed to find the inverse relationship between osteophytes and bone loss. Our study, however, shows that within a population, some individuals are not likely to develop osteophytes.

Osteoarthritis of the hip and knee: sex and gender differences

Osteoarthritis of the hip and knee is a leading cause of functional disability and compromised quality of life in older patients and a significant public health issue. Emerging research shows sex and gender differences in osteoarthritis which, to date, may not be appreciated by the orthopedic community. This article discusses sex and gender differences in osteoarthritis with a focus on disease involving the hip and knee. Understanding what we know (and do not know) about sex and gender differences in this disorder is critical to improving quality of care for our patients.

Osteoarthritis and osteoporosis: clinical and research evidence of inverse relationship

The etiology of osteoporosis (OP) and osteoarthritis (OA) is multifactorial: both constitutional and environmental factors, ranging from genetic susceptibility, endocrine and metabolic status, to mechanical and traumatic injury, are thought to be involved. When interpreting research data, one must bear in mind that pathophysiologic factors, especially in disorders associated with aging, must be regarded as either primary or secondary. Therefore, findings in end-stage pathology are not necessarily the evidence or explanation of the primary cause or event in the diseased tissue. Both aspects of research are important for potentially curative or preventive measures. These considerations, in the case of our topic--the inverse relationship of OP and OA--are of particular importance. Although the inverse relationship between two frequent diseases associated with aging, OA and OP, has been observed and studied for more than 30 years, the topic remains controversial for some and stimulating for many. The anthropometric differences of patients suffering from OA compared with OP are well established. OA cases have stronger body build and are more obese. There is overwhelming evidence that OA cases have increased BMD or BMC at all sites. This increased BMD is related to high peak bone mass, as shown in mother-daughter and twin studies. With aging, the bone loss in OA is lower, except when measured near an affected joint (hand, hip, knee). The lower degree of bone loss with aging is explained by lower bone turnover as measured by bone resorption-formation parameters. OA cases not only have higher apparent and real bone density, but also wider geometrical measures of the skeleton, diameters of long bones and trabeculae, both contributing positively to better strength and fewer fragility fractures. Not only is bone quantity in OA different but also bone quality, compared with controls and OP cases, with increased content of growth factors such as IGF and TGFbeta, factors required for bone repair. Furthermore, in vitro studies of osteoblasts recruited from OA bone have different differentiation patterns and phenotypes. These general bone characteristics of OA bone may explain the inverse relationship OA-OP and why OA cases have fewer fragility fractures. The role of bone, in particular subchondral bone, in the pathophysiology, initiation and progression of OA is not fully elucidated and is still controversial. In 1970, it was hypothesized that an increased number of microfractures lead to an increase in subchondral bone stiffness, which impairs its ability to act as a shock absorber, so that cartilage suffers more. Although subchondral bone is slightly hypomineralized because of local increased turnover, the increase in trabecular number and volume compensates for this, resulting in a stiffer structure. There is also some experimental evidence that osteoblasts themselves release factors such as metalloproteinases directly or indirectly from the matrix, which predispose cartilage to deterioration. Instead, the osteoblast regenerative capacity of bone in OP is compromised compared with OA, as suggested by early cell adhesion differences. The proposition that drugs which suppress bone turnover in OP, such as bisphosphonates, may be beneficial for OA is speculative. Although bone turnover in the subchondral region of established OA is increased, the general bone turnover is reduced. Further reduction of bone turnover, however, may lead to overmineralized (aged) osteons and loss of bone quality, resulting in increased fragility.