Association Between Walking for Exercise and Symptomatic and Structural Progression in Individuals With Knee Osteoarthritis: Data From the Osteoarthritis Initiative Cohort

Lo GH, et al. · Arthritis & Rheumatology

Walkers had LESS new frequent knee pain (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.4-0.8) and less medial joint-space-narrowing progression (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6-1.0) over 4 years. Walking looked protective, not destructive, in established knee OA.

Population

1,212 adults 50+ with knee OA in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (73% walked for exercise)

Intervention

Exposure: self-reported walking for exercise

Comparator

Non-walkers

Limitations

Observational with self-reported exposure; healthy-user bias possible; borderline CI for the structural outcome.