Osteoarthritis May Have Genetic Link

A recent British study showed thatsiblings of patients with osteoarthritis(OA) of the knee are 2 times as likely todevelop the condition themselves. Theresults suggested that there may be agenetic link involved in the developmentof OA.

The findings were based on a study of490 patients with severe knee OA, whowere awaiting total replacement of theknee. Also studied were 737 siblings ofthese patients who were over age 40, aswell as another group of 1729 patientswith knee pain. X-rays were taken of theknees of both the siblings and the knee-painpatients, and both sets were studiedfor signs of OA.

The researchers found that, evenafter controlling for risk factors such assmoking and being overweight, the siblingswere twice as likely to have OA asthe other patients with knee pain. Inaddition, the study showed that brotherswere more likely to be at risk than sisters.The study "adds to the growingbody of evidence that there is a geneticcontribution" to common forms of OA,the researchers said.