I Have A Job That Forces Me To Kneel Or Squat For Several Hours A Day. How Does That Affect Osteoarthritis Risk?

— -- Question: I have a job that forces me to kneel or squat for several hours a day. How does that affect my risk of developing osteoarthritis?

Answer: In looking at the risk factors for osteoarthritis, there are certain occupations that seem to predispose to osteoarthritis, such as kneeling or squatting on a regular basis. It seems to predispose to osteoarthritis of the knees.

This has been demonstrated in farmers. We can look at animal models and see the same kind of thing. If you look at a racehorse, the racehorse reaches out with its forelegs and all the impact is on the forelegs. You can see the jockeys leaning forward over the forelegs. They develop osteoarthritis in their forelegs. In contrast, the workhorse, the plow horse, develops osteoarthritis in their hind legs. So that trauma, repeated microtrauma such as this, can lead to osteoarthritis.

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