Impaired Osteophyte formation in Patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus and Knee Osteoarthritis

Kim, Bong Jun; Hong, Yeong Hoon; Ryu, Dong Han; Kim, Sung Dong; Park, Ki Do; Lee, Choong Ki; Choe, Jung Yoon

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Insulin has been known as a potent growth factor for connective tissues including cartilage and bone.The pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus is the insulin resistance due to insulin receptor or postreceptor abnormalities.In the present study,we investigate whether radiographic features of knee osteoarthritis in patients with type 2 DM differ from those in nondiabetogenic controls with knee osteoarthritis.
METHODS
Radiographs (knee)from 59 female patients with diabetes and knee osteoarthritis were compared with those from 74 female controls who were similar with respect to age,weight,and duration of OA symptoms.Based on the Kellgren and Lawrence criteria,an overall OA severity grade for the index knee was assigned and was rated for the severity of subchondral sclerosis,osteophytes, geodes and joint space narrowing.Patients with inflammatory arthritis such as RA,severe peripheral neuropathy,or diabetic nephropathy were excluded.
RESULTS
Although the 2 groups were similar with respect to the severity of joint space narrowing,geode formation,and subchondral sclerosis,osteophytes formation was less common in patients with type 2 diabetes (P=0.041)than controls.In the patients with symptomatic knee OA at least for 11 years,marked osteophyte formation was noted only in 7 of the 17 with DM (41%),but in 15 of the 27 controls (55%).
CONCLUSION
Our results suggest that diminished availability of insulin at the cellular level or diabetic microvascular disease may attenuate the chondro- and osteogenesis required for osteophyte formation in the joint of patients with OA.The clinical significance of osteophyte and the pathologic mechanisms of diminished osteophyte formation in patients of knee osteoarthritis with type 2 diabetes is to be determined.