Table 1.

Predisposing risk factors for osteoarthritis

Risk factor	Comment
Advanced age	0.1% prevalence in ages 25–34 [2, 3] 80% prevalence in ages > 55 [2, 3]
Female sex [4, 5]	Relative risk of 2.6 [5] Higher rates of rapid structural damage [6]
Obesity/metabolic syndrome	One of the strongest modifiable risk factors [5, 6] Repetitive overloading of cartilage ➔ chondrocyte oxidant-dependent mitochondrial dysfunction ➔ disruption of chondrocyte anabolic responses to mechanical stimuli ➔ cartilage destabilization [7]
Higher bone mineral density	Especially related to hip OA in older women [8–10] Conflicting evidence in regard to the relationship between estrogen replacement therapy and OA
Occupation
Sports activities [11]	Recreational parachuting (ankle) Ballet dancing (talar joints) Soccer (ankle, talar joints) Football (foot/ankle)
Trauma	Unilateral amputation via increased contralateral weight bearing stress [12, 13]
Physical exercise [14–16]	Neuroanatomically normal joints at increased risk with sedentary activity level and repetitive, high-impact activities Neuroanatomically abnormal joints at increased risk with repetitive, low-impact activities
Proprioceptive deficits (neuroarthropathy)	Diabetic neuropathic arthropathy via diabetes mellitus ➔ peripheral neuropathy ➔ decreased proprioception ➔ ligamentous laxity ➔ increased joint ROM ➔ instability ➔ minor trauma ➔ altered architecture ➔ asymmetric weight bearing ➔ focal trauma
Genetics
Acromegaly
Calcium crystal deposition disease
Deformity