Osteoarthritis and obesity

definition

Osteoarthritis describes degenerative joint wear. The cartilage that covers the two communicating joint surfaces in a healthy joint is worn or damaged in osteoarthritis.
The bone is therefore no longer covered by cartilage over a large area or at certain points and is damaged, or other structures in the joint are damaged.

Osteoarthritis is very often age-related. Other causes can be trauma that causes changes and injuries to the articular surfaces, such as fractures that pull into the joint. Other causes can be inflammation or obesity.

Read more about osteoarthritis in general at: Osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis therapy

What influence does being overweight have on the development / progression of osteoarthritis?

If you are overweight for many years, the risk of developing osteoarthritis in the hip, knee and ankle joints is higher than in people who are not overweight.

There are several reasons for this. On the one hand, the increased weight places a much greater load on the joints and the structures involved. The cartilage is stressed to an extent that it was not designed for. This causes it to wear out and damage it prematurely. The consequence of this is the development of osteoarthritis in the knee joints.

On the other hand, there is a tendency towards the problem that overweight people no longer move enough. As a result, the muscles in the legs are no longer adequately trained and atrophy. The problem with this is that the muscles actually protect the joint by keeping the joint stable and protecting it from external damage.

In addition, if you are overweight, the increased fat cells release various hormones (cytokines) that have the potential to cause an inflammatory process in the joints. According to the current state of research, this cannot be neglected. The chronic inflammatory process caused by being overweight is becoming increasingly important. This is probably also the reason why more osteoarthritis can be found in the wrists when people are overweight, which are actually not affected by increased mechanical loads.

Also read the article: Wrist osteoarthritis

Short-term weight gains that do not last for years but are tackled through sport and exercise tend not to cause osteoarthritis. If you are very overweight, even smaller weight losses can help slow down the progression. A normalization of weight should be aimed for in the medium to long term. It can be helpful to work with your family doctor, who can provide support by prescribing physiotherapy and nutritional therapy or anti-inflammatory drugs.

Read more about this at: Consequences of being overweight, tips for losing weight, losing weight with exercise

Effect of being overweight on knee osteoarthritis

A connection between the development and progression of knee osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis of the knee) with existing overweight has been shown in various studies over the past few years. It could be shown in these studies that more osteoarthritis of the knee developed when the patient was overweight than in comparison groups in which the members were not overweight. Furthermore, it could not only be shown that being overweight leads to osteoarthritis, but that the progression of osteoarthritis depends on the extent of the overweight. The more overweight a person is, the faster the osteoarthritis progresses, i.e. the faster the damage to the knee joint increases.

Weight loss is of central importance in knee osteoarthritis. Many patients have the idea that a knee prosthesis can eliminate the problem without having to strain to remove. Unfortunately, this is not the case. If a total knee replacement is to be installed, a significant amount of weight must usually be lost. Studies have shown that overweight people have more complications after surgery on the prosthesis. Musculature must also be built up, since the arthritic or artificial joint absolutely needs good and stable muscle guidance.

Read more about this at: Arthrosis in the knee joint, knee prosthesis

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Effect of being overweight on hip osteoarthritis

Similar to knee osteoarthritis, clinical studies have shown that being overweight has an influence on the development and progression of hip osteoarthritis. People who are overweight get osteoarthritis of the hip 10 years earlier than people who are of normal weight.

Due to the increased weight, the higher pressure loads on the cartilage lead to faster abrasion of the cartilage. The process also progresses through the inflammation mediators (hormones) that are formed in the adipose tissue. Another factor in hip osteoarthritis is the lack of exercise. Only with enough exercise and movement of the legs does the cartilage remain vital and is then well supplied with blood. Just a few minutes a day, in which the hips are moved with exercise, can help reduce progression. As with the knee, the same applies to the hip that a hip prosthesis is not the solution to all things. A prosthesis for hip osteoarthritis should be the last step. Prior to this, the patient should take all other possible steps (weight loss, exercise, physiotherapy, change in diet).

Read also: Lose weight by changing your diet

Effect of being overweight on ankle arthrosis

Compared to osteoarthritis in the knees and hips, osteoarthritis in the ankle is found in younger people. One of the most common reasons is misaligned axes after injuries to the ligament and bone apparatus, which then lead to osteoarthritis as the joint surfaces no longer communicate ideally with one another. But being overweight also has an influence on the development of osteoarthritis in the ankle. Almost the entire body weight rests on the cartilage surfaces of the ankle joints. Even slight changes in weight therefore have an influence on the pressure on these cartilage surfaces and thus also the development of osteoarthritis and its progression.

As with osteoarthritis of the knee and hip, weight loss is the central approach. On the one hand, this reduces the load on the joint and, on the other hand, it reduces the production of inflammatory mediators in the adipose tissue. A prosthesis in the ankle is a complicated undertaking. Usually a stiffening of the joint (arthrodesis) is carried out. Then the foot is stiffened at a fixed angle on the leg. This condition can be counteracted by counteracting existing or developing excess weight at a young age.

Read more about this at: Ankle arthrosis