How Does Family History Affect My Risk Of Developing Osteoarthritis?

— -- Question: How does family history affect my risk of developing osteoarthritis?

Answer: Among the risk factors for osteoarthritis is family history. You'll find that women who have the involvement of the fingers or the toes with osteoarthritis will have another family member such as an aunt or the mother or a grandmother that also had the same changes. So we know that there's a family predisposition.

As far as osteoarthritis of the knees is concerned, there also tends to be some family predisposition. For instance, if someone has bowlegged or knock-kneed, and that is hereditary throughout the family, there will be a tendency in that family to develop osteoarthritis.

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