DDB Physiotherapy

Spending time in a squatting position and cycling may be linked with developing osteoarthritis in the knee, reports a study recently published in Arthritis and Rheumatism.

Osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative joint condition in the world and increases in incidence as a person gets older, in some patients affecting the major weight bearing joints such as the hips and knees.

The research, performed in Iran, compared almost 500 people with knee arthritis with 500 who did not have it.

Risk factors for knee osteoarthritis were found to be squatting for more than 30 minutes a day, a functional position not commonly adopted in western populations for any length of time.

What is surprising is that the researchers detected a link between knee arthritis and cycling more than half an hour per day. Sports and active jobs were not connected with increased risk.

Reference: Arthritis & Rheumatism, October 15th, 2009.