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Body Composition in Individuals with Asymptomatic Osteoarthritis of the Knee

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Abstract

Greater body mass index (BMI) is associated with a greater risk of osteoarthritis (OA). This study sought to investigate whether the association is mediated by fat mass or lean mass. The study involved 170 men and 488 women aged between 20 and 90 (average age: 55) who were randomly recruited from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The presence of knee OA was radiographically diagnosed based on the Kellgren–Lawrence criteria. Lean mass (LM) and fat mass (FM) were obtained from the DXA whole body scan (Hologic QDR-4500). The relationship between OA, LM, and FM was analyzed by a series of multiple linear regression models which take into account the effects of gender and age. As expected, men and women with knee OA were older than those without OA (65 vs 51 year in men, and 64 vs 52 year in women). After adjusting for age, OA was associated with greater FM and percent body fat (PBF), but the association was only observed in women, not in men. There was no statistically significant difference in LM between OA and non-OA individuals. Moreover, after adjusting for age and BMI or PBF, bone density in OA patients was not significantly different from non-OA individuals. Women with OA of the knee have greater fat mass than non-OA individuals, and that there is no significant difference in bone density between OA and non-OA individuals. Thus, the association between body mass index and OA is mainly mediated by fat mass.

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Acknowledgments

The study was partially supported by a Grant from the Department of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City, and a grant from the University Commission for Development (CUD) program, Belgium. We thank the following friends and colleagues for their support and help in the recruitment and providing logistic support for the study: Fr. Pham Ba Lam, Fr. Vu Minh Danh, Mr. Pham Doan Phong, Mr. Luong Thanh Phat, Mr. Nguyen Cong Phu, and Mr. Tien Ngoc Tuan. We thank Dr. Le Thi Ngoc Linh and Dr. Pham Ngoc Khanh of the People’s Hospital 115, and our medical students Nguyen Hai Dang, Vo Thi Thuy An, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao, Mai Duy Linh, Nguyen Vu Dat, Diem Dang Khoa, and Tran Hong Bao for their assistance in the interview of participants.

Author Contribution

The conception and design of the study: Lan T. Ho-Pham and Tuan V. Nguyen; Acquisition of data: Lan T. Ho-Pham, Thai Q Lai, Linh D. Mai, and Minh C Doan. Analysis and interpretation of data: Lan T. Ho-Pham and Tuan V. Nguyen; Drafting the manuscript: Lan T. Ho-Pham and Tuan V. Nguyen; Statistical analysis: Thai Q. Lai, Tuan V. Nguyen; Critical revision of the manuscript: Lan Ho-Pham and Tuan V. Nguyen. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bone and Muscle Research Division, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, Nguyen Huu Tho Street, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Lan T. Ho-Pham, Thai Q. Lai & Tuan V. Nguyen

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Lan T. Ho-Pham, Linh D. Mai & Minh C. Doan

  3. Department of Rheumatology, People’s Hospital 115, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Lan T. Ho-Pham & Thai Q. Lai

  4. Osteoporosis and Bone Biology, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Tuan V. Nguyen

  5. School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Tuan V. Nguyen

  6. Centre for Health Technologies, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Tuan V. Nguyen

Authors
  1. Lan T. Ho-Pham
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  2. Thai Q. Lai
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  3. Linh D. Mai
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  4. Minh C. Doan
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  5. Tuan V. Nguyen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lan T. Ho-Pham.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors (Dr. Lan T. Ho-Pham, Dr. Thai Q. Lai, Dr. Linh D. Mai, Dr. Minh C. Doan, Prof. Tuan V. Nguyen) declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

The research protocol and procedures were approved by the Scientific Committee of the People’s Hospital 115 and Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine. All participants were provided with full information about the study’s purposes, and gave written informed consent to participate in the study.

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Ho-Pham, L.T., Lai, T.Q., Mai, L.D. et al. Body Composition in Individuals with Asymptomatic Osteoarthritis of the Knee. Calcif Tissue Int 98, 165–171 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-015-0080-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-015-0080-8

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