Morphology, alignment, and motion analyses to clarify the onset and progression mechanisms of knee osteoarthritis

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K18455
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56020:Orthopedics-related
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Mochizuki Tomoharu 新潟大学, 医歯学総合病院, 助教 (00773607)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 変形性膝関節症 / 骨形態 / アライメント / 脛骨内側関節面 / 内反モーメント

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Various biomechanical factors such as bone morphology, lower limb alignment changes, quadriceps muscles, and moments are involved in the onset and progression of knee osteoarthritis (knee OA). In this study, we used a three-dimensional analysis method to clarify static factors as the above-mentioned and dynamic factors of internal moment and bone axis motion in normal and knee OA, and also determine their interrelationships. The results suggest that tibial medial articular surface inclination may be involved in varus alignment of the lower leg and thrust phenomena, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of lower limb deformity in knee OA.

Free Research Field

整形外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

変形性膝関節症（膝OA）の下肢変形の要因を生体力学的観点から解析し明らかにすることは、膝OAの発症や進行抑制のための新たな治療に結び付く可能性がある。本研究では、脛骨内側関節面傾斜が下肢変形や膝OAに特徴的にみられる膝の横ブレ現象（スラスト）に関与していることが示唆された。脛骨内側関節面傾斜は経年的に進行していくことが明らかにされているので、骨強度を上げる運動習慣、食習慣が膝OAの発症、進行予防に重要である。