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The body composition of patients with knee osteoarthritis: relationship with clinical parameters and radiographic severity

Aging Clinical and Experimental Research volume 27, pages 673–679 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Background and aims

We investigated body composition in knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients and evaluated its relationship with clinical parameters and radiographic severity.

Methods

Sixty-four patients with knee OA (52 females and 12 males with a mean age of 57.7 ± 8.6 years) and thirty healthy volunteers (20 females and 10 males with a mean age of 56.3 ± 9.5 years) were evaluated. Controls were selected among similar to demographic and hematologic characteristics of patients. Body compositions were assessed via bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Each patient was clinically evaluated by the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). In addition, radiographic severity was classified according to Kellgren–Lawrence’s criteria.

Results

Phase angle, body capacitance, resistance, reactance, lean body mass, and intracellular water values of the patients with knee OA were found to be significantly lower than those of the controls (p < 0.05). Furthermore, fat mass and extracellular water levels were significantly higher in the patients compared to the controls (p < 0.05). Lean body mass was inversely correlated with WOMAC score (r = −0.716, p < 0.001), whereas fat mass was moderately correlated with WOMAC score (r = 0.281, p < 0.05) in bivariate analysis. However, with respect to the body composition, there was no significant difference between early grades and late grades in the knee OA with patients (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Body composition assessed using BIA might be associated with knee OA, and be a noninvasive tool for diagnosis of knee OA. However, body composition may not be predictive of the progression of knee OA.

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Acknowledgments

The authors did not receive any outside funding or grants in support of their research or in preparation of this work.

Conflict of interest

The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Harran University Faculty of Medicine, Yenisehir, 63100, Sanliurfa, Turkey

    Cemil Ertürk, Mehmet Akif Altay, Ali Levent, Metin Yaptı & Kemal Yüce

  2. Department of Biophysics, Harran University Faculty of Medicine, Sanliurfa, Turkey

    Cemil Sert

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  1. Cemil Ertürk
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  2. Mehmet Akif Altay
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  3. Cemil Sert
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  4. Ali Levent
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Correspondence to Cemil Ertürk.

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Ertürk, C., Altay, M.A., Sert, C. et al. The body composition of patients with knee osteoarthritis: relationship with clinical parameters and radiographic severity. Aging Clin Exp Res 27, 673–679 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-015-0325-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-015-0325-4

Keywords

  • Body composition
  • Bioelectrical impedance analysis
  • Knee osteoarthritis
  • WOMAC score
  • X-ray grading