Running and Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Timmins KA, et al. · The American Journal of Sports Medicine

No overall increase in knee OA among runners; runners had LOWER odds of knee surgery for OA (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.30-0.71). Elite/competitive exposure showed higher prevalence (13.3% vs 10.2%), suggesting dose matters at the extreme.

Population

15 unique observational studies (n=114,829)

Intervention

Exposure: running (any level)

Comparator

Non-runners

Limitations

Observational; survivor and selection bias; run volume rarely quantified.