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Although knee injuries can raise the risk
of developing knee arthritis, the wear and tear of regular
exercise over a lifetime
does not set the stage for the debilitating condition.
This is important as health experts recommend
regular physical activity to help ward off serious conditions
like heart disease and diabetes. At the same time, however,
some have worried that high
activity levels may wear on joints and boost the
risk of arthritis later in life.
The study does not support the suggestion
that increased use of the knee joint through moderate sporting
and exercise participation wears out the joint and therefore
increases the risk of knee osteoarthritis.
The researchers studied the relationship
between low and moderate exercise levels and knee osteoarthritis.
Each of 216 patients who reported onset of arthritis after
age 40, with knee pain, swelling or stiffness, was matched
to four people without the condition. The average age of participants
was 57.
The investigators found that having a
previous knee injury was the only factor that strongly influenced
the risk of knee arthritis.
These individuals had an eight-times
greater risk of the condition, compared with those with no
prior knee injuries.
Annals
of Rheumatic Diseases August 2001;60:756-764
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