Effect of weight loss on knee joint synovitis over 48 months and mediation by subcutaneous fat around the knee: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

• Published in: BMC musculoskeletal disorders 2024-04, Vol.25 (1), p.300-300, Article 300
• Main Authors: Löffler, Maximilian T, Ngarmsrikam, Chotigar, Giesler, Paula, Joseph, Gabby B, Akkaya, Zehra, Lynch, John A, Lane, Nancy E, Nevitt, Michael, McCulloch, Charles E, Link, Thomas M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Arthritis; Body mass index; Body weight; Body weight gain; Body weight loss; Care and treatment; Cartilage; Complications and side effects; Diagnosis; Effusion; Female; Hoffa’s fat pad; Humans; Inflammation; Investigations; Knee; Knee Joint - diagnostic imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Mediation analysis; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - diagnostic imaging; Osteoarthritis; Osteoarthritis, Knee - complications; Osteoarthritis, Knee - diagnostic imaging; Overweight; Overweight - complications; Physical activity; Regression analysis; Subcutaneous Fat - diagnostic imaging; Synovitis; Synovitis - diagnostic imaging; Weight control; Weight Loss; Women
• ISSN: 1471-2474; 1471-2474
• DOI: 10.1186/s12891-024-07397-y

Obesity influences the development of osteoarthritis via low-grade inflammation. Progression of local inflammation (= synovitis) increased with weight gain in overweight and obese women compared to stable weight. Synovitis could be associated with subcutaneous fat (SCF) around the knee. Purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of weight loss on synovitis progression and to assess whether SCF around the knee mediates the relationship between weight loss and synovitis progression. We included 234 overweight and obese participants (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 25 kg/m ) from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) with > 10% weight loss (n = 117) or stable overweight (