MRI study links weight loss, slowed degeneration of knee cartilage

Researchers, using MRI on overweight and obese patients, found that individuals who lost a significant amount of weight over a four-year period showed significantly less degeneration of their knee cartilage.

Lead author of the study, Alexandra Gersing, MD, and colleagues, published their findings in Radiology, noting that obesity is a risk factor for osteoarthritis.

"For this research, we analyzed the differences between groups with and without weight loss," said Gersing in a statement. "We looked at the degeneration of all knee joint structures, such as menisci, articular cartilage and bone marrow."

Gersing et al. assessed the link between weight loss and progression of cartilage changes on MRI in 640 overweight and obese patients who were at risk for osteoarthritis or had MRI evidence of mild to moderate osteoarthritis. The research team collected data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Patients were then split into three groups: those who lost more than 10 percent of their body weight, those who lost 5 to 10 percent of their body weight and a control group whose weight remained stable.

Data suggested that weight loss slowed articular cartilage degeneration and caused changes in the menisci. Patients with 5 percent weight loss had lower rates of cartilage degeneration, compared to stable weight patients. Participants with 10 percent weight loss also slowed down cartilage degeneration even more.

"The most exciting finding of our research was that not only did we see slower degeneration in the articular cartilage, we saw that the menisci degenerated a lot slower in overweight and obese individuals who lost more than 5 percent of their body weight, and that the effects were strongest in overweight individuals and in individuals with substantial weight loss," said Gersing.