Polyarthrosis: Prevention

To prevent polyarthrosis, attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.

Behavioral risk factors

• Pleasure food consumption
  • Tobacco (smoking) – nicotine abuse promotes loss of articular cartilage in the knee joint (gonarthrosis)
• 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
    • Long-term heavy physical stress, for example, in the profession (construction workers, especially floor layers).
• Overweight (BMI ≥ 25; obesity) – leads to overuse of the joints.