Knee pain increases in high BIM American and sports injuries

Knee pain is often associated with aging, but more young people seem to meet this problem.

With a greater tendency to practice high intensity sports and a higher global BMI (body mass index), more younger people in their thirties and forties have knee problems – and some even seek surgery.

Between 2000 and 2017, there was a 240% increase in knee replacements for patients hospitalized for patients aged 45 to 64, according to the Ministry of Health and Social Services (HHS).

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A recent study published in the Revue Osteoarthritis and cartilage revealed that the first structural changes in the knees are common at the age of 30. This often happens without symptoms.

Researchers at the Finnish University of the Oulu have found signs of joint lesions in more than half of the 297 participants, who were mostly asymptomatic, according to a press release.

Pain and knee tension are becoming more and more common in younger people in the thirties and forties, according to experts. (istock)

The results have shown minor articular cartilage defects (smooth damage or injuries of cartilage), mainly between the ball joint and the thigh, in more than half of the participants.

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The same faults were also detected in the joint between the bones of the tibia and the thigh in a quarter of the group. Small bone spurs were found in more than half of the participants.

Researchers have concluded that a higher body mass index (BMI) is the main factor linked to these faults in the knees.

The impact of obesity

More than 40% of American adults are obese, according to centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Ran Schwarzkopf, professor of orthopedic surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, agreed in an interview with Fox News Digital that the higher BMI in young Americans has caused more knee problems.

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“(For) obese patients who have a high BMI, it is a high charge on their joints,” said Schwarzkopf, who was not involved in the study. “It is more constantly loading on the knees, so there is more wear.”

Participation in high school and college sports has also led to more injuries among young adults involving the knees, added the expert.

American sports, high school and college, are “more intense” than in other areas of the world, said an expert in orthopedics. (istock)

“In the United States in general, we have many more injuries because of the intensity of the way people practiced sport in their high school and college years,” he said. “I think it’s more than the average of the world.”

In some cases, said Schwarzkopf, traumatic injuries caused by sports or other activities will continue to get worse over time.

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Even if these injuries are processed surgically or not surgically, certain knee elements, such as cartilage, cannot be restored, causing a “lasting effect,” he said.

“(These injuries) continue to accumulate due to the increase in the load on the knee due to the BMI or an increase in injury and daily life.”

BMI is a major source of knee pain as obesity rates are increasing in the United States, experts are suitable. (istock)

After a few traumatic injuries, while the knee develops and the cartilage “disappears”, osteoarthritis can develop, noted Schwarzkopf.

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This condition can cause pain and disability, sometimes requiring a knee replacement as a “ultimate treatment” for damage caused by cartilage, the expert said.

Avoid pain and procedures

For young people who experience knee pain or seek to avoid the problem in the future, Schwarzkopf has shared some prevention tips.

The most important thing is to maintain a healthy weight, he said, because there is a “high chance” that it reduces knee pain.

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Staying active and strengthening the surrounding muscles, especially hamstrings and quads, can also help support knees.

People who work on jobs and are sedentary for many hours of the day should include at least an hour of physical activity most of the time, and take breaks to stand, stretch and walk often, recommends the expert.

Different treatments, such as physiotherapy, can help restore function and reduce pain in the knees. (istock)

Appropriate shoes can also make a big difference, said the doctor, especially for people working on their feet.

Those who still experience pain should seek appropriate orthopedic care, as physiotherapy and other treatments can help restore function and reduce discomfort.

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“Different treatments can be carried out with arthroscopic surgery long before arriving at the replacement of the knee, especially in people at the end of the twenty and thirties,” said Schwarzkopf. “We don’t want to kneel on people at this age.”