Chondrocalcinosis in surgically resected joints

Abstract

To investigate the association between chondrocalcinosis (CC) and osteoarthritis (OA), 338 joint specimens were examined histologically (55 knees and 84 hips surgically resected because of idiopathic OA, 106 control knees obtained postmortem, and 93 fractured hips). The risk for CC in the OA knees was sixfold that of the ageand sex-adjusted control sections. CC occurred much less frequently in the hip than in the knee; the association with OA was less clear-cut. It was not possible to resolve by statistical analysis which of the two pathological processes was the horse and which was the cart.Many published reports address the coexistence of chondrocalcinosis (CC) and osteoarthritis (OA), but there is much controversy about the frequency and significance of the association (1-8). Determining the relationship between the two processes is complicated by the fact that each lesion occurs with a certain frequency in the absence of the other, and both are related to age. The principal calcinotic deposits found are those of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystals. Various concepts about the association of CC and OA can be resolved into 5 categories, as follows: 1) There is no relationship between CC and OA (2,3,9); 2) CPPD crystal deposi-

Differential effects of aging on human chondrocyte responses to transforming growth factor β. Increased pyrophosphate production and decreased cell proliferation

“…Thus, altered PPi metabolism seems to be the critical event in the development of pseudogout. The presence of CPPD crystal deposition commonly complicates prior articular injury and is an adverse prognostic factor in OA (15,21).…”

“…Moreover, the presence of CPPD crystal deposition commonly complicates prior articular injury and is an adverse prognostic factor in osteoarthritis (OA) (1. 5,21). Studies (24,25).…”

Risk factors for incident radiographic knee osteoarthritis in the elderly. The framingham study

“…Cigarette consumption was assessed at each examination and defined as the mean number of cigarettes smoked per day over examinations [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. We also evaluated current cigarette smoking at examination 18.…”

Analysis of the association between chondrocalcinosis and osteoarthritis: a community based study.

“…Most investigators conclude that the frequency of OA is increased in individuals with chondrocalcinosis,2 [8][9][10][11][12][13] whereas others have not confirmed this association. '4 '5 However, the variable methodology and criteria used to evaluate the presence of OA, in addition to the different methods of selection of the populations studied, make the results of previously published work inconclusive.…”