Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee or hip is associated with less hip fracture, according to new evidence. Preliminary results from a large Swedish study show that an inverse relationship exists between knee or hip osteoarthritis and hip fracture, according to Elsevier Global Medical News.
There were 11,901 adult residents of the southernmost county of Sweden who had hip OA, as well as the 23,866 with knee OA. During the study period, from 2004-2007, there were 398 hip fractures among the knee OA group -- quite a bit less than the 470 hip fractures that would have been expected based on standardized data from the general population. There were 233 hip fractures in patients with OA of the hip, compared with 271 that were expected.
The observed hip fracture rate in the knee OA group of 763/100,000 per year, compared with an expected rate of 900/100,000 per year. The observed rate of hip fracture in patients with hip OA was 884/100,000 per year, compared with an expected rate of 1,028/100,000 per year.
What might explain this observation? That's still not clear. There are some reports of increased bone mineral density in patients who have hip OA. Obesity among OA patients may protect against fracture too -- when patients fall, extra padding may cushion the blow.
Related Resources:
- Knee Osteoarthritis - What You Should Know
- Hip Osteoarthritis - What You Should Know
- Does Ankle Fracture Lead to Osteoarthritis?
- How to Prevent Slips and Falls
- 25 Effective Treatments for Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis
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Photo by C. Fertnig (iStockphoto)
