Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Sarcopenia and its relationship with osteoarthritis: risk factor or direct consequence?

  • Review
  • Published:
MUSCULOSKELETAL SURGERY Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this review is to evaluate the clinical role of sarcopenia in patients affected by osteoarthritis (OA) of major joints.

Methods

An online database research was performed, in order to retrieve all articles investigating the relationship between sarcopenia and OA. No peer-reviewed journal was excluded. Papers in English, French, Spanish and Italian language were considered. After consulting the full-text article, five studies have been included in the review.

Results

Of the five studies included, four are prospective studies and only one is a cross-sectional study which retrieved data retrospectively. A total of 4,231 patients, presenting a mean age of 62.0 years, were studied. Three studies evaluated only female subjects. Weight, height and body mass index were reported in all the articles. Knee OA has been assessed using the Kellgren–Lawrence grading system and the American college of rheumatology criteria. Alterations of the lean body mass on body weight ratio have been reported to be as a significant predictive parameter in two studies. Relationship between radiographic OA and an increase in the leg lean mass has been observed in one study.

Conclusions

We cannot support neither the thesis of a direct effect of sarcopenia on OA development nor the opposite relation, because the up-to-date literature lacks basic science studies concerning these topics. The absence of clinical studies regarding measurements and tools to compare sarcopenia and OA do not allow to definitely clarify this relationship.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Altman RD, Hochberg M, Murphy WA Jr, Wolfe F, Lequesne M (1995) Atlas of individual radiographic features in osteoarthritis. Osteoarthr Cartil 3(Suppl A):3–70

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Aydin A, Atmaca H, Muezzinoglu US (2013) Anterior knee dislocation with ipsilateral open tibial shaft fracture: a 5-year clinical follow-up of a professional athlete. Musculoskelet Surg 97(2):165–168. doi:10.1007/s12306-011-0155-2

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Barbieri M, Ferrucci L, Ragno E, Corsi A, Bandinelli S, Bonafe M, Olivieri F, Giovagnetti S, Franceschi C, Guralnik JM, Paolisso G (2003) Chronic inflammation and the effect of IGF-I on muscle strength and power in older persons. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 284(3):E481–E487. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00319.2002

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bellamy N, Buchanan WW, Goldsmith CH, Campbell J, Stitt LW (1988) Validation study of WOMAC: a health status instrument for measuring clinically important patient relevant outcomes to antirheumatic drug therapy in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. J Rheumatol 15(12):1833–1840

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Bijlsma AY, Meskers CG, van den Eshof N, Westendorp RG, Sipila S, Stenroth L, Sillanpaa E, McPhee JS, Jones DA, Narici MV, Gapeyeva H, Paasuke M, Voit T, Barnouin Y, Hogrel JY, Butler-Browne G, Maier AB (2013) Diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia and physical performance. Age (Dordr). doi:10.1007/s11357-013-9556-5

    Google Scholar 

  6. Cooper C, Fielding R, Visser M, van Loon LJ, Rolland Y, Orwoll E, Reid K, Boonen S, Dere W, Epstein S, Mitlak B, Tsouderos Y, Sayer AA, Rizzoli R, Reginster JY, Kanis JA (2013) Tools in the assessment of sarcopenia. Calcif Tissue Int 93(3):201–210. doi:10.1007/s00223-013-9757-z

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Baeyens JP, Bauer JM, Boirie Y, Cederholm T, Landi F, Martin FC, Michel JP, Rolland Y, Schneider SM, Topinkova E, Vandewoude M, Zamboni M (2010) Sarcopenia: European consensus on definition and diagnosis: report of the European working group on sarcopenia in older people. Age Ageing 39(4):412–423. doi:10.1093/ageing/afq034

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Fielding RA, Vellas B, Evans WJ, Bhasin S, Morley JE, Newman AB, Abellan van Kan G, Andrieu S, Bauer J, Breuille D, Cederholm T, Chandler J, De Meynard C, Donini L, Harris T, Kannt A, Keime Guibert F, Onder G, Papanicolaou D, Rolland Y, Rooks D, Sieber C, Souhami E, Verlaan S, Zamboni M (2011) Sarcopenia: an undiagnosed condition in older adults. Current consensus definition: prevalence, etiology, and consequences. International working group on sarcopenia. J Am Med Dir Assoc 12(4):249–256. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2011.01.003

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Fusaro I, Orsini S, Stignani S, Creta D, Cava FC, Benedetti MG (2013) Proposal for SICSeG guidelines for rehabilitation after anatomical shoulder prosthesis in concentric shoulder osteoarthritis. Musculoskelet Surg 97(Suppl 1):31–37. doi:10.1007/s12306-013-0257-0

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Guerne PA, Zuraw BL, Vaughan JH, Carson DA, Lotz M (1989) Synovium as a source of interleukin 6 in vitro. Contribution to local and systemic manifestations of arthritis. J Clin Invest 83(2):585–592. doi:10.1172/JCI113921

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Haddad F, Zaldivar F, Cooper DM, Adams GR (2005) IL-6-induced skeletal muscle atrophy. J Appl Physiol 98(3):911–917. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01026.2004

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Haseeb A, Haqqi TM (2013) Immunopathogenesis of osteoarthritis. Clin Immunol 146(3):185–196. doi:10.1016/j.clim.2012.12.011

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Lee S, Kim TN, Kim SH (2012) Sarcopenic obesity is more closely associated with knee osteoarthritis than is nonsarcopenic obesity: a cross-sectional study. Arthritis Rheum 64(12):3947–3954. doi:10.1002/art.37696

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Loeser RF (2010) Age-related changes in the musculoskeletal system and the development of osteoarthritis. Clin Geriatr Med 26(3):371–386. doi:10.1016/j.cger.2010.03.002

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Lord SR, Menz HB, Tiedemann A (2003) A physiological profile approach to falls risk assessment and prevention. Phys Ther 83(3):237–252

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Maggio M, Guralnik JM, Longo DL, Ferrucci L (2006) Interleukin-6 in aging and chronic disease: a magnificent pathway. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 61(6):575–584. doi:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2645627/

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Metter EJ, Lynch N, Conwit R, Lindle R, Tobin J, Hurley B (1999) Muscle quality and age: cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 54(5):B207–B218

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Morley JE, Abbatecola AM, Argiles JM, Baracos V, Bauer J, Bhasin S, Cederholm T, Coats AJ, Cummings SR, Evans WJ, Fearon K, Ferrucci L, Fielding RA, Guralnik JM, Harris TB, Inui A, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Kirwan BA, Mantovani G, Muscaritoli M, Newman AB, Rossi-Fanelli F, Rosano GM, Roubenoff R, Schambelan M, Sokol GH, Storer TW, Vellas B, von Haehling S, Yeh SS, Anker SD (2011) Sarcopenia with limited mobility: an international consensus. J Am Med Dir Assoc 12(6):403–409. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2011.04.014

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Muscaritoli M, Anker SD, Argiles J, Aversa Z, Bauer JM, Biolo G, Boirie Y, Bosaeus I, Cederholm T, Costelli P, Fearon KC, Laviano A, Maggio M, Rossi Fanelli F, Schneider SM, Schols A, Sieber CC (2010) Consensus definition of sarcopenia, cachexia and pre-cachexia: joint document elaborated by Special Interest Groups (SIG) “cachexia-anorexia in chronic wasting diseases” and “nutrition in geriatrics”. Clin Nutr 29(2):154–159. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2009.12.004

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Notarnicola A, Moretti L, Tafuri S, Vacca A, Marella G, Moretti B (2011) Postoperative pain monitor after total knee replacement. Musculoskelet Surg 95(1):19–24. doi:10.1007/s12306-011-0102-2

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Randelli P, Spennacchio P, Ragone V, Arrigoni P, Casella A, Cabitza P (2012) Complications associated with arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: a literature review. Musculoskelet Surg 96(1):9–16. doi:10.1007/s12306-011-0175-y

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Rolland Y, Lauwers-Cances V, Cournot M, Nourhashemi F, Reynish W, Riviere D, Vellas B, Grandjean H (2003) Sarcopenia, calf circumference, and physical function of elderly women: a cross-sectional study. J Am Geriatr Soc 51(8):1120–1124. doi:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12890076

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Roubenoff R, Heymsfield SB, Kehayias JJ, Cannon JG, Rosenberg IH (1997) Standardization of nomenclature of body composition in weight loss. Am J Clin Nutr 66(1):192–196

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Sabbioni G, Rani N, Devescovi V (2010) Neurofibromatosis with unilateral lower limb gigantism. Musculoskelet Surg 94(1):41–44. doi:10.1007/s12306-009-0049-8

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Sadouk MB, Pelletier JP, Tardif G, Kiansa K, Cloutier JM, Martel-Pelletier J (1995) Human synovial fibroblasts coexpress IL-1 receptor type I and type II mRNA. The increased level of the IL-1 receptor in osteoarthritic cells is related to an increased level of the type I receptor. Lab Invest 73(3):347–355

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Santos ML, Gomes WF, Pereira DS, Oliveira DM, Dias JM, Ferrioli E, Pereira LS (2011) Muscle strength, muscle balance, physical function and plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Arch Gerontol Geriatr 52(3):322–326. doi:10.1016/j.archger.2010.05.009

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Savarese E, Bisicchia S, Amendola A (2010) Bilateral spontaneous concurrent rupture of the patellar tendon in a healthy man: case report and review of the literature. Musculoskelet Surg 94(2):81–88. doi:10.1007/s12306-010-0077-4

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Schlaak JF, Pfers I, Meyer Zum Buschenfelde KH, Marker-Hermann E (1996) Different cytokine profiles in the synovial fluid of patients with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and seronegative spondylarthropathies. Clin Exp Rheumatol 14(2):155–162

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Scott D, Blizzard L, Fell J, Jones G (2012) Prospective study of self-reported pain, radiographic osteoarthritis, sarcopenia progression, and falls risk in community-dwelling older adults. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 64(1):30–37. doi:10.1002/acr.20545

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Sen RK, Gopinathan NR, Kumar R, Saini UC (2013) Simple reproducible technique in treatment for osteopetrotic fractures. Musculoskelet Surg 97(2):117–121. doi:10.1007/s12306-012-0222-3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Toda Y, Kobayashi T (2000) The usefulness of walking for preventing sarcopenia in dieting postmenopausal women complaining of knee pain. Ann N Y Acad Sci 904:610–613

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Toda Y, Segal N, Toda T, Kato A, Toda F (2000) A decline in lower extremity lean body mass per body weight is characteristic of women with early phase osteoarthritis of the knee. J Rheumatol 27(10):2449–2454

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Woods JL, Iuliano-Burns S, King SJ, Strauss BJ, Walker KZ (2011) Poor physical function in elderly women in low-level aged care is related to muscle strength rather than to measures of sarcopenia. Clin Interv Aging 6:67–76. doi:10.2147/CIA.S16979

    PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Zenios M, Hannan M, Zafar S, Henry A, Galasko CS, Khan T (2012) Clinical and radiological outcome of combined femoral and Chiari osteotomies for subluxed or dislocated hips secondary to neuromuscular conditions: a minimum of 10-year follow-up. Musculoskelet Surg 96(2):101–106. doi:10.1007/s12306-012-0201-8

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Papalia.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Papalia, R., Zampogna, B., Torre, G. et al. Sarcopenia and its relationship with osteoarthritis: risk factor or direct consequence?. Musculoskelet Surg 98, 9–14 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12306-014-0311-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12306-014-0311-6

Keywords

Navigation