Risk factors

Excess body weight. Obesity is the most significant risk factor. According to studies, obese women develop osteoarthritis of the knee joints 4 times more often than women of normal weight. Excess weight contributes not only to the early onset of the disease, but also to its faster progression.

Heredity. Some joint diseases may have a hereditary predisposition. In families where there have been cases of osteoarthritis, the likelihood of its occurrence is 2-3 times higher than the average in the population.

Age. There is nothing you can do, but the older a person is, the higher the risk of developing osteoarthritis and osteochondrosis. This is due to a decrease in the ability of cartilage tissue to repair and regenerate, as well as a deterioration in metabolism in the joints.

Increased stress. Heavy physical labor, intensive training, or extreme sports can lead to microtrauma to the cartilage tissue of the joint, which can ultimately lead to osteoarthritis.