Prevalence of knee pain, radiographic osteoarthritis and arthroplasty in retired professional footballers compared with men in the general population: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

ObjectivesTo determine the prevalence of knee pain, radiographic knee osteoarthritis (RKOA), total knee replacement (TKR) and associated risk factors in male ex-professional footballers compared with men in the general population (comparison group).Methods1207 male ex-footballers and 4085 men in the general population in the UK were assessed by postal questionnaire. Current knee pain was defined as pain in or around the knees on most days of the previous month. Presence and severity of RKOA were assessed on standardised radiographs using the Nottingham Line Drawing Atlas (NLDA) in a subsample of 470 ex-footballers and 491 men in the comparison group. The adjusted risk ratio (aRR) and adjusted risk difference (aRD) with 95% CI in ex-footballers compared with the general population were calculated using the marginal model in Stata.ResultsEx-footballers were more likely than the comparison group to have current knee pain (aRR 1.91, 95% CI 1.77 to 2.06), RKOA (aRR 2.21, 95% CI 1.92 to 2.54) and TKR (aRR 3.61, 95% CI 2.90 to 4.50). Ex-footballers were also more likely to present with chondrocalcinosis (aRR 3.41, 95% CI 2.44 to 4.77). Prevalence of knee pain and RKOA were higher in ex-footballers at all ages. However, even after adjustment for significant knee injury and other risk factors, there was more than a doubling of risk of these outcomes in footballers.ConclusionsThe prevalence of all knee osteoarthritis outcomes (knee pain, RKOA and TKR) were two to three times higher in male ex-footballers compared with men in the general population group. Knee injury is the main attributable risk factor. Even after adjustment for recognised risk factors, knee osteoarthritis appear to be an occupational hazard of professional football.

Impact of Exercise Therapy on Molecular Biomarkers Related to Cartilage and Inflammation in Individuals at Risk of, or With Established, Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…Exercise is essential for the health of the knee joint, with cartilage being able to adapt its structure, composition, and metabolism to a wide range of activities . However, very high doses of exercise such as playing sports at an elite level as well as the absence of exercise, in the forms of sedentary behavior or immobilization , are associated with cartilage loss and OA development. Therapeutic exercise is a cornerstone in the management of OA, .…”

Comparing major joint injuries, interventions and late sequelae in elite male handball players with an age-matched control group

“…It is commonly assumed that sports on the elite or professional level lead to injuries, late sequelae and impairment of quality of life at an older age. To date, most studies published on this topic have focused only on one joint and or on osteoarthritis without assessing injuries during the active career [3,7,8,[12][13][14][15]26]. Some of the studies did not clearly declare the origin or characteristics of their control group [1,14,19,29] and 2 studies used military personnel [20,23] for comparison, who might be subjected to similar risk of injury as elite sportsmen.…”

Incidence of knee chondrocalcinosis and its risk factors in a community‐based cohort

“…The low prevalence of CC in Koreans, like in Chinese, might be attributable to this result. Furthermore, the type of work activity and sports involved, previous joint trauma/injury, and fractures, which may be implicated in the development of CPPD, 13,14 were not considered as compounding factors in this study. Interestingly, our study suggested an association between high levels of HbA1c and the development of CC.…”