Smoking is associated with increased cartilage loss and persistence of bone marrow lesions over 2 years in community-based individuals

Davies-Tuck ML, Wluka AE, Forbes A, et al. · Rheumatology (Oxford)

Smoking was associated with greater annual medial cartilage volume loss (+13.4 microlitres/year, p=0.03) and an 11.4-fold higher odds of bone marrow lesions persisting over 2 years (95% CI 1.54–89.9).

Population

271 community-based adults without diagnosed knee OA, serial knee MRI over 2 years

Intervention

Current/former smoking (observed)

Comparator

Never-smokers

Limitations

Observational community cohort; wide confidence intervals (few smokers); smoking status self-reported.