History of acute knee injury and osteoarthritis of the knee: a prospective epidemiological assessment. The Clearwater Osteoarthritis Study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between acute joint injury to the knee and knee osteoarthritis (OA).


METHODS
Prospective cohort. Sample size = 1,436. Men and women aged 40 years and older participating in the population-based Clearwater Osteoarthritis Study (1988-current) with biennial physical exams including serial radiographs. Radiologically confirmed knee OA = 27%; self-reported knee injury = 11%. Lawrence and Kellgren ordinal scale was used to determine radiological evidence of the study outcome, knee OA. Self-reported history of knee injury was used to determine the study exposure.


RESULTS
Individuals with a history of knee injury were 7.4 (95% C.I. 5.9-9.4) times as likely to develop knee OA than were those individuals who did not have a history of knee injury.


CONCLUSIONS
Acute knee joint injury appears to be a risk factor for the development of knee OA. Prevention strategies for OA should be targeted to those individuals with a history of acute knee injury.
Wilder
F V
FV
The Arthritis Research Institute of America, Inc., 300 S. Duncan Avenue #240, Clearwater, Florida 34615, USA.
Hall
B J
BJ
Barrett
J P
JP
Lemrow
N B
NB
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking