Osteoarthritis and osteoporosis – differences between women and men highlighted in new report

Educating healthcare professionals and people at risk about male and female differences when it comes to musculoskeletal disease could lead to better treatment and outcomes, experts outline in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
The team highlighted the main differences between how common musculoskeletal disorders manifest themselves in men versus women:
• Woman are more likely to have an osteoporosis-related hip fractures but have a lower rate of mortality than men with the same fracture;
• Osteoarthritis of the knee is more common in women;
• Finger fractures are more common in men;
• Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are two to eight times more common in women;
• Women are five to eight times more likely than men to suffer an anterior cruciate ligament injury in high-intensity sports that require sudden changes of motion;
• Ankle sprains are twice as common in women than men.
“Knowing that there are differences in incidences and presentation between males and females is an important part of diagnosing and treating patients,” explains Dr Jennifer Moriatis Wolf, lead study author. “Identifying both similarities and differences will allow health care providers to deliver better care to every orthopaedic patient.”

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