Knee Osteoarthritis Increases Risk of Falling
People with knee osteoarthritis are at increased for falling, according to a study published in Arthritis Care & Research (May 2023). Researchers analyzed data from a three-year Canadian study on aging of people ages 45 to 85. They compared rates of falling among 21,710 participants who reported having knee osteoarthritis or no arthritis at the beginning of the study period. Among those with knee osteoarthritis, 10% reported one or more falls resulting in injury (6% had one fall and 4% had two falls). People with knee osteoarthritis were 33% more likely to fall than those without arthritis, with most falls occurring indoors, while standing or walking. Risk factors that were found to predict a fall were having a previous fall, having a previous fracture and urinary incontinence. The researchers emphasized the need for greater awareness and fall prevention strategies.
