Abstract
Introduction:Fluorosis has been associated with an increased risk of degenerative changes in the knee. Multiple studies have found an association between arthritis and elevated fluoride levels. We aim to delineate if elevated fluoride level has any direct correlation with the degree of radiological grading and clinical symptoms in knee arthritis.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study of 80 knee arthritis patients was conducted from February 2017 to April 2018. Serum fluoride levels were measured and patient’s pain scores, WOMAC scores and radiological grading were correlated with the elevated fluoride levels.Results:In our study, 30 out of 80 patients had increased serum fluoride level. Statistically significant differences were noted in VAS score, WOMAC score and Kellgren and Lawrence radiological grades between patients with normal serum fluoride level and those with elevated fluoride level.Conclusion:There is an increased risk of knee arthritis in patients with elevated blood fluoride levels and patients with increased fluoride levels are associated with more severe symptoms and radiographic disease.
Highlights
Fluorosis has been associated with an increased risk of degenerative changes in the knee
A lot of work has already been done on knee osteoarthritis and fluorosis but there is no literature correlating the severity of knee osteoarthritis with serum fluoride levels
A pilot study was done on 12 patients to calculate the sample size for 80% power with α error of 0.05, assuming correlation coefficient (ρ) as 0.310 between serum fluoride level and WOMAC scoring system among knee osteoarthritis patients
Summary
Fluorosis has been associated with an increased risk of degenerative changes in the knee. We aim to delineate if elevated fluoride level has any direct correlation with the degree of radiological grading and clinical symptoms in knee arthritis. Conclusion: There is an increased risk of knee arthritis in patients with elevated blood fluoride levels and patients with increased fluoride levels are associated with more severe symptoms and radiographic disease. Fluorosis is a disease caused by an excess of intake of fluoride, usually by drinking water It is endemic in 22 countries of the world including India. Recent research clearly shows that fluoride-induced joint pains can occur in the absence of obvious skeletal fluorosis. This makes fluoride’s effects on joints extremely difficult to differentiate from common forms of arthritis. A lot of work has already been done on knee osteoarthritis and fluorosis but there is no literature correlating the severity of knee osteoarthritis with serum fluoride levels
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
