Quarter of former Olympians suffer from osteoarthritis
One in four retired Olympians reported a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, the form of arthritis that causes changes in the joint and can lead to discomfort, pain and disability, the research found.
Elite retired sportspeople who had experienced a sports-related injury had a higher chance of knee and hip osteoarthritis when compared with the general population.
The athletes — who had competed at an Olympic level in 57 sports including athletics, rowing and skiing — also had an increased risk of lower back pain overall, and shoulder osteoarthritis after a shoulder injury.
Researchers hope the findings will help develop new approaches in injury prevention for the benefit of athletes now and in retirement.
The study — led by a University of Edinburgh based researcher — is the largest international survey of its kind, and the first to observe the consequences of osteoarthritis and pain in different joints from retired elite athletes across different summer and winter Olympic sports.
Researchers quizzed 3,357 retired Olympians aged around 45 on injuries and the health of their bones, joints, muscles and spine. They were also asked if they were currently experiencing joint pain, and if they had an osteoarthritis diagnosis.
For comparison, 1,735 people aged around 41 from the general population completed the same survey.
Researchers used statistical models to compare the prevalence of spine, upper limb and lower limb osteoarthritis and pain in retired Olympians with the general population.
The team considered factors that could influence the risk of pain and osteoarthritis such as injury, recurrent injury, age, sex and obesity.
They found that the knee, lumbar spine and shoulder were the most injury prone areas for Olympians. These were also among the most common locations for osteoarthritis and pain.
After a joint injury the Olympians were more likely to develop osteoarthritis than someone sustaining a similar injury in the general population, the research found
The sportspeople also had an increased risk of shoulder, knee, hip and ankle and upper and lower spine pain after injury, although this did not differ with the general population.
Dr Debbie Palmer, of the University of Edinburgh’s Moray House School of Education and Sport, said: “High performance sport is associated with an increased risk of sport-related injury and there is emerging evidence suggesting retired elite athletes have high rates of post-traumatic osteoarthritis.
“This study provides new evidence for specific factors associated with pain and osteoarthritis in retired elite athletes across the knee, hip, ankle, lumbar and cervical spine, and shoulder, and identifies differences in their occurrence that are specific to Olympians.”
Researchers say the study may help people make decisions about recovery and rehabilitation from injuries in order to prevent recurrences, and to inform prevention strategies to reduce the risk and progression of pain and OA in retirement.
- Debbie Palmer, Dale Cooper, Jackie L Whittaker, Carolyn Emery, Mark E Batt, Lars Engebretsen, Patrick Schamasch, Malav Shroff, Torbjørn Soligard, Kathrin Steffen, Richard Budgett. Prevalence of and factors associated with osteoarthritis and pain in retired Olympians compared with the general population: part 1 – the lower limb. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2022; 56 (19): 1123 DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2021-104762
- Debbie Palmer, Dale Cooper, Jackie L Whittaker, Carolyn Emery, Mark E Batt, Lars Engebretsen, Patrick Schamasch, Malav Shroff, Torbjørn Soligard, Kathrin Steffen, Richard Budgett. Prevalence of and factors associated with osteoarthritis and pain in retired Olympians compared with the general population: part 2 – the spine and upper limb. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2022; 56 (19): 1132 DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2021-104978
Mmoja kati ya wanariadha wanne wa Olimpiki waliostaafu amekuwa na ugonjwa wa osteoarthritis, ugonjwa unaosababisha maumivu na ulemavu. Wanariadha waliostaafu ambao walikuwa na majeraha ya michezo walikuwa na uwezekano mkubwa wa kupata ugonjwa wa arthritis ya goti na kiuno ikilinganishwa na idadi ya watu kwa ujumla. Wanariadha ambao walishindana katika michezo 57 ya Olimpiki, ikiwa ni pamoja na riadha, kupiga makasia na kuteleza kwenye theluji, pia walikuwa na hatari kubwa ya maumivu ya mgongo wa chini kwa ujumla, na osteoarthritis ya bega baada ya jeraha la bega. Watafiti wana matumaini kwamba matokeo hayo yatasaidia kuendeleza mbinu mpya za kuzuia majeraha kwa manufaa ya wanariadha sasa na baada ya kustaafu. Utafiti huo ulioongozwa na mtafiti wa Chuo Kikuu cha Edinburgh ni uchunguzi mkubwa zaidi wa kimataifa wa aina yake, na wa kwanza kuchunguza matokeo ya ugonjwa wa viungo na maumivu katika viungo tofauti kutoka kwa wanariadha wa juu waliostaafu katika michezo tofauti ya Olimpiki ya majira ya joto na majira ya baridi. Watafiti waliwahoji wachezaji 3,357 wa Olimpiki waliostaafu wenye umri wa miaka 45 na zaidi kuhusu majeraha na afya ya mifupa, viungo, misuli na uti wa mgongo. Pia waliulizwa ikiwa kwa sasa walikuwa wakipata maumivu ya viungo, na ikiwa walikuwa na utambuzi wa osteoarthritis. Kwa kulinganisha, watu 1,753 wenye umri wa miaka 41 kutoka kwa idadi ya watu kwa ujumla walijaza uchunguzi huo huo. Watafiti walitumia mifano ya takwimu kulinganisha kuenea kwa uti wa mgongo, viungo vya juu na viungo vya chini na maumivu katika Olimpiki waliostaafu na idadi ya watu kwa ujumla. Timu hiyo ilichunguza mambo ambayo yanaweza kuathiri hatari ya maumivu na osteoarthritis kama vile majeraha, majeraha ya mara kwa mara, umri, jinsia na unene. Waligundua kwamba goti, uti wa mgongo wa mgongo na bega ndizo sehemu zenye uwezekano mkubwa zaidi wa kujeruhiwa kwa wanariadha wa Olimpiki. Pia, sehemu hizo ndizo zilizokuwa na ugonjwa wa viungo na maumivu mengi zaidi. Baada ya kuumia kwa sehemu ya mgongo, wanariadha wa Olimpiki walikuwa na uwezekano mkubwa wa kupata ugonjwa wa osteoarthritis kuliko watu wengine ambao walikuwa na ugonjwa kama huo, na wataalamu wa michezo walikuwa na hatari ya kuongezeka kwa maumivu ya bega, goti, kiuno, mguu na mgongo baada ya kuumia, ingawa hii haikuwa tofauti na idadi ya watu. Daktari Debbie Palmer, wa Chuo Kikuu cha Edinburgh, alisema: "Mambo ya michezo ya utendaji wa hali ya juu yanahusishwa na hatari ya kuongezeka kwa majeraha yanayohusiana na michezo, na kuna ushahidi unaojitokeza unaoonyesha wanariadha wa juu waliostaafu wana viwango vya juu vya ugonjwa wa osteoarthritis baada ya majeraha." "Utafiti huu hutoa ushahidi mpya kwa sababu maalum zinazohusiana na maumivu na osteoarthritis katika wanariadha wa juu waliostaafu kwenye goti, kiuno, mguu, lumbar na uti wa mgongo wa shingo, na bega, na hutambua tofauti katika kutokea kwao ambazo ni maalum kwa wanariadha wa Olimpiki. ""Watafiti wanasema utafiti unaweza kusaidia watu kufanya maamuzi juu ya kupona na ukarabati kutoka kwa majeraha ili kuzuia kurudia, na kuarifu mikakati ya kuzuia kupunguza hatari na maendeleo ya maumivu na OA katika kustaafu." - Debbie Palmer, Dale Cooper, Jackie L Whittaker, Carolyn Emery, Mark E Batt, Lars Engebretsen, Patrick Schamasch, Malav Shroff, Torbjørn Soligard, Kathrin Steffen, Richard Budgett. Ugonjwa wa Osteoarthritis na maumivu katika Olimpiki waliostaafu ikilinganishwa na idadi ya watu kwa ujumla: sehemu ya 1 <> sehemu ya chini. "Jarida la Uingereza la Tiba ya Michezo, 2021; 56 (19): 1123 DOI: 10.1136-2021-10476 ""Debbie Palmer, Dale Cooper, Jackie L. Whittaker, Carolyn Emery, Mark E. Batt, Lars Engebretson, Patrick Schamasch, Malav Shroff, Torbjorn Solberg, Kathryn Steffen, Richard Budgett, na wengine wengi." Ugonjwa wa Osteoarthritis na maumivu katika Olimpiki waliostaafu ikilinganishwa na idadi ya watu kwa ujumla: sehemu ya 2 < p> uti wa mgongo na viungo vya juu. "Jarida la Uingereza la Tiba ya Michezo, ""Jarida la Uingereza la Tiba ya Michezo,"" ""Jarida la Uingereza la Tiba ya Michezo,"" ""Jarida la Uingereza la Tiba ya Michezo,"" ""Jarida la Uingereza la Tiba ya Michezo,"" ""Jarida la Uingereza la Michezo,"" ""Jarida la Uingereza la Michezo,"" ""Jarida la Uingereza la Michezo,"" ""Jarida la Uingereza."""