Pathogenesis and clinical management of obesity-related knee osteoarthritis: Impact of mechanical loading.

Unlabelled: Obesity-related osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex, multifactorial condition that can cause significant impact on patients' quality of life. Whilst chronic inflammation, adipocytokines and metabolic factors are considered to be important pathogenic factors in obesity related OA, there has been limited investigation into the biomechanical impact of obesity on OA development. This review aims to demonstrate that mechanical factors are the major pathological cause of obesity-related OA.

Horizontal fissuring at the osteochondral interface: a novel and unique pathological feature in patients with obesity-related osteoarthritis.

Objectives: Obesity is a well-recognised risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA). Our aim is to characterise body mass index (BMI)-associated pathological changes in the osteochondral unit and determine if obesity is the major causal antecedent of early joint replacement in patients with OA.

Methods: We analysed the correlation between BMI and the age at which patients undergo total knee replacement (TKR) in 41 023 patients from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry.