Accelerated menopausal changes as human disease model 'FOCUM' for the development of osteoarthritis and other degenerative disorders: protocol for a prospective cohort study.

Introduction: The incidence of degenerative disorders, including osteoarthritis (OA), increases rapidly in women after menopause. However, the influence of the menopause is still insufficiently investigated due to the slowness of menopausal transition. In this study, a novel human model is used in which it is expected that menopausal-related changes will occur faster.