For Immediate Release February 1, 1999
Contact: Gina DiGravio (617) 638-8491
OSTEOARTHRITIS IN HANDS MAY BE RELATED TO GRIP STRENGTH
Using data from the long-running Framingham Heart Study, researchers at Boston University School of Medicine and the Boston University Arthritis Center have determined that people with a strong grip are at increased risk for osteoarthritis in certain hand joints. The study appeared in the January issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism.
Researchers Christine Chaisson, MPH, and David Felson, MD, MPH, of Boston University School of Medicine analyzed both grip strength data and enhanced x-ray data for approximately 453 men, and found that those with a strong grip were more likely to have the MCP joints (those closest to the palm), and the joint at the base of the thumb affected by osteoarthritis.
According to Chaisson, this is the first study to examine the relationship of osteoarthritis and grip strength in different types of hand joints. "The forces at the joint and the frequency those forces are applied is new territory in arthritis research," notes Chaisson. "We've had some studies about hand biomechanics which show force along the joints, but no one has evaluated this particular association before."
"Muscular contraction and its effect on the joints is extremely complex," says Chaisson. "Some types of force are beneficial, and some are potentially harmful." Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is caused by the wearing away of joint cartilage. It affects approximately 20 million Americans over the age of 45.
The study was conducted in coordination with Leena Sharma, MD, of Northwestern University in Chicago, and William Kannel, MD, of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study.
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