A 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 study found.
Retired elite athletes who had suffered a sports injury were more likely to develop knee and hip osteoarthritis compared to the general population.
The athletes – who had competed at Olympic level in 57 sports, including athletics, rowing and skiing – were also at increased risk of general lower back pain and shoulder osteoarthritis after a shoulder injury.
Researchers hope the findings will help develop new approaches to injury prevention to benefit athletes now and after retirement.
The study, led by a researcher from the University of Edinburgh, is the largest international study of its kind, and the first to observe the effects of osteoarthritis and pain in different joints in retired elite athletes in various summer and winter Olympic sports.
Researchers surveyed 3,357 retired Olympians aged about 45 about injuries and the health of their bones, joints, muscles and spine. They were also asked if they currently had joint pain and if they had a diagnosis of osteoarthritis.
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 osteoarthritis and pain in the spine, upper extremities and lower extremities in retired Olympians compared to the general population.
The team took into account factors that can influence the risk of pain and osteoarthritis, such as injury, recurrent injury, age, gender and obesity.
They found that the knee, lumbar spine and shoulder are 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 in the general population who suffered a similar injury, the study found.
The athletes also had an increased risk of shoulder, knee, hip and ankle pain and upper and lower back pain after an injury, although this did not differ from the general population.
Dr. Debbie Palmer, from the University of Edinburgh’s Moray House School of Education and Sport, said: “High-performance sport is associated with an increased risk of sports-related injuries and there is increasing evidence that retired elite athletes have high rates of post-traumatic complaints. arthrosis.
“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 to prevent recurrence, and inform prevention strategies to reduce the risk and progression of pain and osteoarthritis in retirement.
