Definition
Arthrosis describes a degenerative wear and tear of the joint. The cartilage that covers the two communicating joint surfaces in a healthy joint is worn or damaged in the case of arthrosis. As a result, the bone is no longer covered by cartilage in certain areas or points and is damaged, or other structures in the joint are damaged.
Arthrosis is very often age-related. Other causes can be trauma, which causes changes and injuries to the joint surfaces, for example fracture crevices that draw into the joint. Other causes can be inflammation or overweight. Therapy of arthrosis
What influence does overweight have on the development / progression of osteoarthritis?
If overweight has existed for many years, the risk of developing osteoarthritis in the hip, knee and ankle joints is increased compared to people who are not overweight. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the increased weight places a much greater load on the joints and the structures involved.
Thus, the cartilage is loaded to an extent for which it was not created. This leads to early wear and tear and damage to the cartilage. The consequence is the development of arthrosis in the knee joints.
On the other hand, there is a tendency for overweight people not to get enough exercise. This leads to the muscles in the legs no longer being adequately trained and atrophy. The problem is that the muscles actually protect the joint by keeping it stable and protecting it from external damage.
In addition, when you are overweight, the greatly increased fat cells secrete various hormones (cytokines) that have the potential to cause an inflammatory process in the joints. According to the current state of research, this should not be neglected. The chronic inflammatory process caused by excess weight is becoming increasingly important.
This is probably also the reason why overweight people suffer from increased arthroses in the wrists, which are not actually affected by increased mechanical stress. Short-term weight gains that do not last for years, but are tackled through sport and exercise, are unlikely to cause arthrosis. If you are very overweight, even small weight losses can help to slow down the progress.
In the medium to long term, a normalisation of weight should be aimed for. The cooperation with the family doctor can be helpful here, who can provide support by prescribing physiotherapy and nutritional therapy or even anti-inflammatory medication. Tips for losing weight, losing weight with sport
Effect of overweight on knee osteoarthritis
A connection between the development and the progression of knee arthrosis (gonarthrosis) with existing overweight could be shown in various studies over the last few years. In these studies it could be shown that more arthrosis of the knee occurred in overweight individuals than in comparison groups in which the members were not overweight. Furthermore, it could not only be shown that being overweight causes arthrosis, but also that the progression of arthrosis is dependent on the extent of the overweight.
The more overweight a person is, the faster the arthrosis progresses, i.e. the faster the damage to the knee joint increases. Weight loss is of central importance in knee arthrosis. Many patients have the idea that a knee prosthesis can eliminate the problems without having to make any effort to lose weight.
Unfortunately this is not the case. If a knee TEP (total endoprosthesis) is to be fitted, weight must usually be lost significantly. Studies have shown that overweight people have an increased incidence of complications after the operation on the prosthesis. Furthermore, it is absolutely necessary to build up muscles, as the arthrotic or even an artificial joint absolutely needs good and stable muscle guidance. Knee prosthesis
