Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) of the contralateral knee of men with traumatic amputation who do and do not participate in regular, vigorous physical activity. METHODS: Three groups of patients were assessed. Group 1 consisted of 8 male amputee volleyball players. Group 2 consisted of 24 male amputees who do not play volleyball, and Group 3 was made up of 24 healthy controls matched by age and weight to Group 2. The prevalence of contralateral knee OA in Groups 1 and 2 was assessed by questionnaire, physical examination, and radiographs, and was compared with findings for Group 3. RESULTS: The rate of OA in all amputees (Groups 1 and 2 together) was 65.6%, which was significantly higher than among the controls (p < 0.05). The most common findings among the amputees were patellar and medial osteophytosis of the tibiofemoral joint, with a tendency to medial narrowing of the tibiofemoral joint space. CONCLUSION: Traumatic amputees have a higher prevalence of OA in the knee of the nonamputated leg than matched healthy controls.
