Risk factors for osteoarthritis of the knees

Abstract EN

This study was performed on 40 middle aged female patients complaining of bilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA) and 16 healthy female age matched subjects as a control group.

The body mass index was calculated for all of them.

Fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and uric acid were measured.

Plain X-rays were taken for both knees and graded according to Kellgren and Lawrence (1957).

The various data were correlated with each other.

We found that patients complaining of OA knees had higher levels of blood pressure, body mass index, LDL and uric acid which were of statistical significance.

Also patients had a higher level of serum cholesterol and a lower level of HDL, which was of high significance.

The level of the fasting blood glucose correlated with the severity of X-ray findings.