Overuse of knee joints linked to arthritis

Cyclists and people who spend long periods of time in a squatting position may be at risk of developing arthritis in their knees. Osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, occurs when the cartilage of the joints breaks down and usually begins after a person reaches middle age. It commonly affects the knees and can be disabling, Health News reported.
To determine whether occupational or leisure-time activities could influence the risk of a person developing the condition, researchers compared 480 people with osteoarthritis of the knee and 490 arthritis-free people in Iran. Data regarding their occupations, sports and daily activities was collected.
It was found that people who spent more than 30 minutes daily in a squatting position were at a 1.5 times higher risk of developing knee osteoarthritis, while people who cycled for more than 30 minutes daily were twice as likely to have osteoarthritis in their knees. People with jobs that required them to bend their knees for more than half an hour daily were about twice as likely to develop knee osteoarthritis. Housewives were also more likely than women who worked outside the home to develop knee osteoarthritis. There was no link between playing sports, working in a non-sedentary occupation and knee osteoarthritis. The findings support the hypothesis that overuse of a joint can influence arthritis risk. The researchers concluded that education on preventable risk factors should be considered in order to ensure that people their used knee joints appropriately and avoided overuse.