Osteoarthritis patients 'at an increased risk of falls and fractures'

People with hip or knee osteoarthritis may be at a potentially elevated risk of suffering a fall that leads to a fracture, according to new research.

Led by the University of East Anglia, the study aimed to assess the probability of individuals with early-diagnosed hip or knee osteoarthritis experiencing a fall or fracture compared to those without the disease. It was determined that osteoarthritis patients are indeed more susceptible to such accidents.

A large-scale study

For this research, published in the International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases, scientists analysed data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative, a US nationwide study that enrolled close to 5,000 patients in total.

They identified all participants who were diagnosed with hip or knee osteoarthritis within a 12-month period, compared to those without osteoarthritis, to see whether there was a difference in the occurrence of falls - with or without subsequent fractures - between the two groups.

A total of 552 individuals who had hip osteoarthritis were compared to 4,244 individuals who did not, while 1,350 people with knee osteoarthritis were analysed against to 3,445 individuals without.

A greater risk

It was shown that people with knee osteoarthritis had a 54 per cent greater chance of experiencing a fall compared to those without; the corresponding figure for the hip osteoarthritis comparison was 52 per cent.

Moreover, the data indicated that those with knee and hip osteoarthritis demonstrated an over 80 per cent greater chance of experiencing a fracture in the first 12 months of their diagnosis, compared to those without either disease.

The researchers concluded: "There is an increased risk of falls and fractures in early-diagnosed knee and hip osteoarthritis compared to those without osteoarthritis. International guidelines on the management of hip and knee osteoarthritis should consider the management of falls risk."

The Arthritis Research UK view

Dr Katherine Free, research liaison and communications manager for Arthritis Research UK, said: "This research has added to existing evidence that shows people living with osteoarthritis are at a significantly increased risk of suffering from debilitating falls and fractures.

"It's our goal to help people live their lives free from pain, which is why we are funding research into understanding bone degeneration and methods to help maintain healthy cartilage for longer in order to alleviate this painful and debilitating condition, as well as looking at ways to improve muscle strength in people with osteoarthritis to make them less likely to fall."

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