Assessment of the Degree of Osteoarthritis in Aging Male and Female Femoral Condyles: A Cadaveric Study

Abstract

Objective Determine if femoral chondral cartilage degeneration on cadaveric knee joints exacerbate differently with aging between the sexes. Methods A total of 85 cadaveric femurs were assessed for macroscopic femoral condyle pathology using a scale for gross signs of osteoarthritis. Raters scored specimens and raters’ scores were averaged to provide each specimen a Disease Severity Score (DSS). Results The DSS for the 80+-year-old population was greater than the DSS of the 70- to 79-year-old population (* P < 0.05) and the <70-year-old population (** P < 0.01). Specimens that scored a DSS of 2 and higher were assessed for their specific site of most severe degeneration. The most severe degeneration on the articular cartilage was most regularly on the patellar fossa. The second most degenerated region varied by age and biomechanical alterations. There were no significant changes in DSS between the sexes within the age groups. Conclusions No difference was shown between the sexes in the severity or location of degeneration indicating that men and women are likely affected by the same biomechanical changes that spur on osteoarthritis in their eighth decade of life (70s) and later. Lateral femoral degeneration predominates in younger populations. When patients approach their 70s, medial degeneration begins to predominate likely based on an increase in shearing at the knee joint.