Knee disorders in the general population and their relation to occupation

Abstract

Background: Hospital based studies of occupational risk factors for knee disorders are complicated by the possibility of selective referral to hospital of people whose work is made difficult by their symptoms. Aims: To explore the extent of such bias and to assess the association of meniscal injury with occupational activities. Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to a community sample of 2806 men aged 20-59 years in southern England. This asked about lifetime occupational and sporting activities, and any history of knee symptoms lasting 24 hours or longer. Rates of hospital referral were compared in symptomatic men according to their occupational activities. In a nested case-control investigation, the occupational activities of 67 men who reported meniscectomy were compared with those of 335 controls. Results: Among 1404 men who responded to the questionnaire, the lifetime prevalence of knee symptoms was 54%, and in 70% of cases the symptoms had started suddenly, usually while playing sport. Symptomatic men whose work entailed kneeling or squatting were more likely to be referred to an orthopaedic surgeon than the average (28% and 31% versus 24%), especially if they experienced locking of the knee (69% and 73% versus 43%). In the nested case-control study, meniscectomy was associated with playing soccer and work that involved regular kneeling or squatting. Conclusions: Results suggest that hospital referral for knee symptoms is influenced to some extent by patients' occupational activities. Playing soccer is confirmed as a strong risk factor for knee cartilage injury.

Long-term effects of biomechanical exposure on severe knee pain in the Gazel cohort

“…Selection effects at inclusion and attrition during the follow-up have been studied previously in the GAZEL cohort: the initial participation of men in the whole GAZEL cohort was mostly influenced by lifestyle characteristics such as alcohol consumption and by health or cultural factors, while dropouts were mostly explained by the occurrence of major health problems (14,15). The prevalence of knee pain was similar to that found in a one-year prospective study among workers of a large Finnish forestry company, where 23% suffered from knee pain at baseline [mean age 45 years, predominantly men (6)], and similar to prevalence of knee pain in the last year (28%) in a working population-based study of 1404 men (5).…”

“…It is also one of the known occupational factors associated with OA (8-12), especially in association with other constraints (12,(25)(26)(27). Baker et al (5) found that symptomatic men whose work entailed kneeling or squatting were more likely to be referred to an orthopedic surgeon than the average population (28% or 31% versus 24%). Miranda et al (6) found, in a one-year follow-up study, that risk factors relevant for self-reported knee pain seemed to be highly similar to those involved in knee OA reported in other studies, especially age, being overweight, knee-straining work, as well as previous knee injury and smoking.…”

“…A Canadian population-based study in a working population aged 18-65 years, found a 9.6% prevalence of knee complaint among men (8.6% in both genders) (3), whereas in another population-based study among 6641 men and women with median age 78.8 years, the knee pain prevalence was 35.2% (4). In a working populationbased study among 1404 men, 28% of the subjects had suffered from knee pain in the last year (5). In a Finnish study among 2122 workers from a forestry company (white and blue-collar workers), who were free of knee pain, a 10% incidence was observed during the one-year follow-up (6).…”

Melanocortin peptides protect chondrocytes from mechanically induced cartilage injury

“…Knee traumas, in particular, represent over 40% of all sports injuries [5][6][7] and often result from traffic accidents with surgical restoration of joint stability not preventing future arthritis development [8][9][10][11]. The incidence of post-traumatic arthritis is therefore high -creating insistent demand for pharmacological intervention, directed at limiting the progression and propagation of destructive processes taking place in the early stages post-injury [2,12].…”

Physical Examination Tests for Assessing a Torn Meniscus in the Knee: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis

“…5 Roughly 5% of these individuals will undergo a tibial meniscectomy, 5 and many more will undergo partial meniscectomy or meniscus repair. Surgery of the meniscus is a common orthopedic procedure, constituting 10% to 20% of surgeries performed in some practices.…”