Smoking Makes Knee Osteoarthritis Worse

Men who smoke double the the probability of having loss at the tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joints as published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.

But also suffered 30% more pain than non smokers. To date there have been few studies that have researched the link between smoking cigarettes and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Shreyasee Amin, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic states that the reports findings that smoking cigarettes role in the progression of knee osteoarthritis is an important breakthrough.

In the study 159 male smokers with osteoarthritis were monitored over a 30 month period. Assessments were carried out with MRI at baseline and at 15 month and 30 month follow-ups.

The study indicated that evidence was found that cigarette smoke has a detrimental impact on cartilage metabolism. Studies have shown that the components of tobacco smoke have a harmful effect on disc chondrocyte function, resulting in reduced extracellular matrix synthesis and cell proliferation.

The negative impact of smoking on chondrocyte function in articular cartilage, raises great concern. More so for the fact that the damage from smoking may be greatest when cartilage is already damaged.

A factor considered was that smoking results in higher concentrations of carbon monoxide levels in arterial blood,increasing tissue hypoxia. Resulting in the impaired repair of cartilage.