Article

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.

Langue : ANGLAIS