Running not linked to higher prevalence of knee osteoarthritis

The key findings of this study were:

1. The inclusion criteria were satisfied by seventeen studies (6 level 2, 9 level 3, and 2 level 4), which included 7194 runners and 6947 non runners.

2. The mean follow-up period for runners was 55.8 months, compared to 99.7 months for non runners.

3. Among the group of runners, the mean age was 56.2 years, whereas among the non runners, it was 61.6 years.

4. There were 58.5% more males overall. The non runner group had a considerably greater incidence of knee discomfort.

5. Numerous studies found no significant differences in the prevalence of radiographic knee OA or cartilage thickness on MRI between runners and non runners, despite one finding that the runner group had a significantly higher prevalence of osteophytes in the tibiofemoral (TF) and patellofemoral (PF) joints.

There is no proof that knee discomfort, OA, or the requirement for complete knee replacement at some point in life are more common. In fact, there is some data that suggests runners have a decreased chance of developing generalized knee discomfort than do non-runners.

Reference:

Dhillon, J., Kraeutler, M. J., Belk, J. W., Scillia, A. J., McCarty, E. C., Ansah-Twum, J. K., & McCulloch, P. C. (2023). Effects of Running on the Development of Knee Osteoarthritis: An Updated Systematic Review at Short-Term Follow-up. In Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine (Vol. 11, Issue 3, p. 232596712311529). SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.1177/23259671231152900