Most Sports Don't Raise Risk of Knee Osteoarthritis
Nov. 7, 2011 (Chicago) -- While most sports don't seem to raise the risk of kneearthritis, some sports do seem to be particularly hard on the knees.
Overall, athletes don't have a greater risk for knee osteoarthritis, says researcher Jeffrey Driban, PhD, assistant professor of rheumatology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.
That's true regardless of whether you participate in recreational or elite-level sports, he tells WebMD.
But both elite and non-elite soccer players were at increased risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA), a new study showed.
So too were competitive long-distance runners, weight lifters, and wrestlers.
There weren't enough data to draw conclusions about nonprofessionals who engage in these sports. In addition, the risk to women is unclear as most research has been on male elite athletes, Driban says.
The researchers found no increased risk of OA with basketball, boxing, cross-country skiing, ice hockey, orienteering, shooting, throwing, and track and field.
The study was presented here at the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting.
Osteoarthritis: Exercises for OA of the Knee
Overall, athletes don't have a greater risk for knee osteoarthritis, says researcher Jeffrey Driban, PhD, assistant professor of rheumatology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston.
That's true regardless of whether you participate in recreational or elite-level sports, he tells WebMD.
But both elite and non-elite soccer players were at increased risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA), a new study showed.
So too were competitive long-distance runners, weight lifters, and wrestlers.
There weren't enough data to draw conclusions about nonprofessionals who engage in these sports. In addition, the risk to women is unclear as most research has been on male elite athletes, Driban says.
The researchers found no increased risk of OA with basketball, boxing, cross-country skiing, ice hockey, orienteering, shooting, throwing, and track and field.
The study was presented here at the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting.
Osteoarthritis: Exercises for OA of the Knee
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