Understanding osteoarthritis
A researcher in Queensland has been awarded a grant of $100,000 to investigate the rate of progression of hip joint osteoarthritis. A Griffith Health Institute study will investigate the influence of biomechanical, metabolic and structural factors of hip joint osteoarthritis.
A researcher in Queensland has been awarded a grant of $100,000 to investigate the rate of progression of hip joint osteoarthritis.
A Griffith Health Institute study, led by Dr Peter Mills, was awarded a Griffith Innovation Grant of $100,000, to investigate the influence of biomechanical, metabolic and structural factors of hip joint osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is the most prevalent musculoskeletal disease in the world, affecting one in 12 Australians and costing the country more than $10 billion a year.
A key focus is the effect of fat tissue mass on osteoarthritis progression, Dr Mills claimed.
“We know more about the biomechanical effects of obesity on knee than hip osteoarthritis but we know very little about the metabolic effects of obesity on progression of either hip or knee osteoarthritis” he said.
“We’ve established a multi-disciplinary team so we can look at the biochemical cause of inflammation or bone geometry or metabolism and really understand this condition and what we can do about it.”
The team is integrating state of the art techniques in musculoskeletal imaging, biochemical analysis of blood and biomechanical measurement of joint loading during walking to better understand the factors that influence the rate of hip joint osteoarthritis progression.
“Traditionally, the additional joint loads associated with excess body fat were believed to be the sole reason for the accelerated rate of progression of lower limb osteoarthritis in overweight and obese individuals,” Dr Mills said.
“However, overweight and obese people also have a greater risk of developing osteoarthritis of non-weight bearing joints such as the joints of the hands. We now understand that metabolic alterations associated with increased body fat also play a role in the progression of osteoarthritis.”
The rate of progression of osteoarthritis also varies substantially; some people can take decades to progress from mild to late stage osteoarthritis, while others deteriorate over just a few years.
It is hoped the findings from this study may help identify risk factors which may help people for future interventions.
