Life course longitudinal growth and risk of knee osteoarthritis at age 53 years: evidence from the 1946 British birth cohort study

R Cooper,H.J Samvelyan,R Hardy,K.A Ward,K.A Staines

doi:10.1016/j.joca.2020.12.012

Abstract

SummaryObjectiveTo examine the relationship between height gain across childhood and adolescence with knee osteoarthritis in the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD).Materials and methodsData are from 3035 male and female participants of the NSHD. Height was measured at ages 2, 4, 6, 7, 11 and 15 years, and self-reported at ages 20 years. Associations between (1) height at each age (2) height gain during specific life periods (3) Super-Imposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) growth curve variables of height size, tempo and velocity, and knee osteoarthritis at 53 years were tested.ResultsIn sex-adjusted models, estimated associations between taller height and decreased odds of knee osteoarthritis at age 53 years were small at all ages - the largest associations were an OR of knee osteoarthritis of 0.9 per 5 cm increase in height at age 4, (95% CI 0.7–1.1) and an OR of 0.9 per 5 cm increase in height, (95% CI 0.8–1.0) at age 6. No associations were found between height gain during specific life periods or the SITAR growth curve variables and odds of knee osteoarthritis.ConclusionsThere was limited evidence to suggest that taller height in childhood is associated with decreased odds of knee osteoarthritis at age 53 years in this cohort. This work enhances our understanding of osteoarthritis predisposition and the contribution of life course height to this.

Highlights

Joint health is reliant upon the preservation of the articular cartilage and, its degradation is one of the main hallmarks of the degenerative joint disease osteoarthritis
Sex-stratified analyses confirmed that there were consistent patterns of association in men and women (Tables S4.1e4.3). In this nationally representative British birth cohort study, associations between greater height at ages 4 and 6 years and marginally lower odds knee osteoarthritis at age 53 were observed in sex-adjusted models, but these were attenuated after adjustment for early life factors
No associations were observed between height changes during early childhood, late childhood, childhood to adolescence or adolescence to young adulthood or Super-Imposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) parameters and knee osteoarthritis

Summary

Introduction

Joint health is reliant upon the preservation of the articular cartilage and, its degradation is one of the main hallmarks of the degenerative joint disease osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis, characterised by articular cartilage loss, subchondral bone thickening and osteophyte formation, is a major health care burden throughout the world. Our previous work in a spontaneous murine model of ageingrelated osteoarthritis, the STR/Ort mouse, revealed accelerated long bone growth, increased growth plate chondrocyte differentiation, and widespread abnormal expression of chondrocyte markers in osteoarthritis-prone mice[1]. We revealed enriched growth plate bridging, indicative of advanced and premature growth plate closure, in these mice[1]. Together this suggested that osteoarthritis development is associated with an accelerated growth phenotype and advanced pubertal onset

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