ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2024
Effect of weight loss on knee joint synovitis over 48 months and mediation by subcutaneous fat around the knee: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.
Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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6 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence of knee radiographic and symptomatic osteoarthritis and ultrasound features across sex and body mass index groups: The Johnston County Health Study.Osteoarthritis and cartilage · 2026Article
- Increase in knee-adjacent subcutaneous fat is associated with cartilage degeneration independent of BMI: A four-year analysis of the OAI dataset.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2026Article
- Targeting synovial inflammation in knee osteoarthritis: translational insights for diagnosis and therapy.Journal of orthopaedic translation · 2026Review
- From mechanical triggering to metabolic-inflammatory driving: a new paradigm of knee osteoarthritis pathogenesis.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Thigh-muscle volume change in response to diet, exercise, and weight-loss in overweight and obese individuals-8-year follow-up data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.Skeletal radiology · 2025Observational
- Synovitis mediates cartilage outcomes during weight-loss in knee osteoarthritis - 4-year follow-up data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundObesity influences the development of osteoarthritis via low-grade inflammation. Progression of local inflammation (= synovitis) increased with weight gain in overweight and obese women compared to stable weight. Synovitis could be associated with subcutaneous fat (SCF) around the knee. Purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of weight loss on synovitis progression and to assess whether SCF around the knee mediates the relationship between weight loss and synovitis progression.
methodsWe included 234 overweight and obese participants (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 25 kg/m
resultsOdds for effusion-synovitis progression decreased with weight loss and ajSCF decrease (odds ratio [OR] = 0.61 and 0.56 per standard deviation [SD] change, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.44, 0.83 and 0.40, 0.79, p = 0.002 and 0.001, respectively), whereas odds for Hoffa-synovitis progression increased with weight loss and ajSCF decrease (OR = 1.47 and 1.48, CI 1.05, 2.04 and 1.02, 2.13, p = 0.024 and 0.038, respectively). AjSCF decrease mediated 39% of the effect of weight loss on effusion-synovitis progression.
conclusionsEffusion-synovitis progression was slowed by weight loss and decrease in local subcutaneous fat. Hoffa-synovitis characterized by fluid in the infrapatellar fat pad increased at the same time, suggesting a decreasing fat pad rather than active synovitis. Decrease in local subcutaneous fat partially mediated the systemic effect of weight loss on synovitis.
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