2381/12408842.v1 Dale Cooper Dale Cooper Mark Batt Mark Batt Brigitte Scammell Brigitte Scammell Debbie Palmer-Green Debbie Palmer-Green PREVENTATIVE RISK FACTORS FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS IN GREAT BRITAIN'S OLYMPIANS University of Leicester 2020 Uncategorised value 2020-06-02 10:39:32 Journal contribution https://figshare.le.ac.uk/articles/journal_contribution/PREVENTATIVE_RISK_FACTORS_FOR_OSTEOARTHRITIS_IN_GREAT_BRITAIN_S_OLYMPIANS/12408842 <div><p><strong>Background</strong> Relatively little is known about the risk factors associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in Olympic athletes. As the first step towards prevention, knowledge of preventative/modifiable risk factors are needed.</p></div><div><p><strong>Objective</strong> To examine injury patterns, prevalence, and risk factors for OA in Great Britain's Olympians, aged 40 years and older.</p></div><div><p><strong>Design</strong> Cross-sectional study design, with an internal nested-case control.</p></div><div><p><strong>Setting</strong> Athletes who had represented Great Britain at the Summer and/or Winter Olympic Games from 1932 to 2012.</p></div><div><p><strong>Participants</strong> Great Britain's Olympians were invited to complete and return a web-based or paper questionnaire. The response rate was 32%, with 605 returns achieved (40–97 years), between the 22nd May 2014 and the 31st January 2015.</p></div><div><p><strong>Assessment of Risk Factors</strong> Potential risk factors for OA included age, body mass index, gender, previous injury, lower limb mal-alignment, hypermobility (self-reported Beighton>4/9), comorbidities, index ring finger ratio, Heberden's and Bouchard's nodes, and having competed in either impact or weight-bearing loading sports.</p></div><div><p><strong>Main Outcome Measurements</strong> The primary outcome measure was self-reported physician-diagnosed OA, whereby Great Britain's Olympians confirmed that a physician had previously diagnosed them with the condition. The most severe limb was selected as the index joint for data analysis, if bilateral.</p></div><div><p><strong>Results</strong> Knee (14%), hip (11%), and the lumbar spine (5%) are most likely affected by OA. Injury appeared the strongest modifiable risk factor for knee [aOR 4.89; 95% CI, 2.64–9.06] and hip OA [aOR 10.46; 95% CI, 3.67–29.83]. Hypermobility appeared a risk factor for knee OA only [aOR 2.26; 95% CI, 1.08–4.74]. Intra-articular injuries through participation in weight-bearing loading sports were consistently reported in those with peripheral joint OA.</p></div><div><p><strong>Conclusions</strong> As one of the few modifiable risk factors, joint injury prevention should be part of the future initiatives to reduce the risk of OA.</p></div>