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Genetic Traits May Increase Risk of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common problem in older adults. Your risk of developing OA increases as you age and/or gain weight. Joint injury and deformity also increase the rate of OA. More and more studies are showing a genetic link. The findings of this study add to the evidence that genetics may be a primary cause in OA of the hip.

Patients included in this study came from one of 49 families. Each family had at least two sisters with OA. Their children were examined for signs of hip arthritis. X-rays were used to grade the disease severity.

Here's what they found:

  • Children of parents with osteoarthritis are 3.5 times more likely to have OA too.
  • The hip is the most likely joint to be affected.
  • Not all families had a child affected; some families had more than one. This suggests that other genetic and environmental factors may be involved.
  • OA occurs at a younger age (average age is 47) in affected children compared to patients without a family link (average age is 62).

    When a child inherits a condition from the mother it's called vertical
    transmission    . Further studies will be done to find the chromosome that passes the trait to children.

    • Reference: 

    Jonathan M. Spencer, FRCS, et al. Genetic Background Increases Risk of Hip Osteoarthritis. In Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. February 2005. Vol. 431. Pp. 134-137.

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