Rugby affecting development of OA in men case/control pilot v1.2
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Does a history of playing rugby union or rugby league affect the likelihood of men developing osteoarthritis and requiring a joint replacement: a pilot case-control study
IRAS ID
147289
Contact name
David Owens
Contact email
Research summary
Osteoarthritis is a common disabling condition causing problematic joint pain and restricted movement in 8.5 million people in the UK. Research studies have found that lifestyle factors (including body mass, occupation, and participation in some sports)can affect the development of the condition in lower limb joints. Rugby union and league are popular sports for men in the UK, with around 300,000 recreational participants registered to the sports’ governing bodies in the 2012/13 season. No-one has yet investigated whether those who play rugby are more likely to develop osteoarthritis than are the general population. This information could help individuals make informed choices about participation in recreational activities.
By comparing the rugby participation of those with severe osteoarthritis with those who don’t have the condition we could investigate the potential for rugby playing as a risk factor for developing osteoarthritis (a case-control study). As no previous studies have been conducted on this topic it is important to identify the number of people required to run a full study and whether the chosen study methods are effective; the information collected in this research will constitute a “pilot study” ahead of a potentially larger case-control study.
Severe osteoarthritis of the lower limb can be eventually treated with joint replacement surgery, so an elective orthopaedic unit providing this surgery will be used to recruit 20 to 30 individuals with this level of symptomatic osteoarthritis. They will be given questionnaires asking about their participation in rugby union or league and how physically active they have been over their lifetime. Comparison will be made with another group of patients who don’t have osteoarthritis requiring joint replacement, recruited from those attending hospital with accidental hand injuries. The information collected will also be used to design and conduct larger study that will be able to identify any connection.
REC name
London - Riverside Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1101
Date of REC Opinion
11 Aug 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Unfavourable Opinion