Risk factors for osteoarthritis

Byers Kraus, 2010Neogi, 2013Zheng, 2015

The majority of epidemiological and risk factor studies in osteoarthritis have been conducted in people with knee osteoarthritis and their findings generalised to other sites. However, risk factors for development and progression of osteoarthritis can vary depending on the affected joint.

Nonmodifiable risk factors for osteoarthritis are older age, female gender, joint shape (eg cam deformity, acetabular dysplasia of hips) and family history of osteoarthritis. Age is one of the strongest risk factors for osteoarthritis and contributes to risk both through cumulative exposure to other risk factors and biological age-related changes in joint structures.

Obesity and injury are important modifiable risk factors for osteoarthritis (see also Weight loss for osteoarthritis). Malalignment is also potentially modifiable. For example, risk may be reduced by early correction of leg-length discrepancies or correcting fractures involving the joint line (eg tibial plateau fracture)Hunter, 2012.

Osteoarthritis of particular joints is associated with certain occupations because of the physical load placed on the joint. Examples of associations include farming and hip osteoarthritis, occupations involving repeated knee bending or lifting heavy objects and knee osteoarthritis, and occupations involving manual labour and hand osteoarthritis.

Psychosocial factors can influence the experience of osteoarthritis. People with lower education levels, lower socioeconomic status and psychological comorbidities tend to experience greater pain and disability. For advice on managing these factors, see Psychological therapies for osteoarthritisErfani, 2015Wise, 2010.