Relations between some anthropometric parameters of knee osteoarthritic patients and some indicators of the disease

Abstract

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is related to the person’s gender, weight and age. However, associations between the body types and disease related values are not clear. All the subjects participated in the study of a new mud therapy course in Estonian medical spas and had knee OA. The mean age of the subjects was 61.7 years (62.0 years for women and 61.1 years for men). Based on the 5 SD heightweight classification, devised by the Centre for Physical Anthropology at the University of Tartu, the subjects were divided into five classes (1 – small height and weight; 2 – medium height and weight; 3 – big weight and height; 4 – big weight, small height; 5 – small weight, big height). The results showed that knee OA was more prevalent in women than men. 39.8% of the subjects were obese. Leptomorphic females and males prevailed among the subjects (28.5% and 26.8%, accordingly). Therefore, the height is also one factor which is associated with knee OA. Females had more problems with their knees than males. The group of small females had more problems with both knees, but pycnomorphic females complained more about knee pain in the last month before the study. Therefore, they used more analgesics. In both genders, the more problematic knee was the right knee. The class of medium males also had more problems with both knees. They had the highest values of the morning stiffness of the knee and knees crepitus in active motion.