To prevent gonarthrosis (knee osteoarthritis), attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.
Behavioral risk factors
- Consumption of stimulants
- Alcohol – ≥ 20 glasses of beer/week lead to a significant increase in coxarthrosis (hip osteoarthritis) and gonarthrosis (knee osteoarthritis); individuals who drank 4 to 6 glasses of wine per week had a lower risk of gonarthrosis
- Tobacco (smoking) – nicotine abuse promotes loss of articular cartilage in the knee joint
- Physical activity
- Underloading of the cartilage:
- Lack of physical activity – since cartilage gets its micronutrients from the synovial fluid, it relies on the joint being moved for cartilage growth
- Nutritive damage (eg, long rest in a cast).
- Overloading of the cartilage:
- Competitive and high-performance sports (e.g., soccer players).
- Long-lasting heavy physical stress, e.g., in the profession (construction workers, especially floor layers).
- Underloading of the cartilage:
- Overweight (BMI ≥ 25; obesity) – leads to overuse of the joints.
Prevention factors (protective factors)
- High dietary fiber intake was associated with a lower incidence of symptomatic knee joint osteoarthritis (risk in the quarter with the highest intake (Q4: 21.9 g/d) 30% lower than in the quarter with the lowest intake (Q1: 9.1 g/d)).
