Osteoarthritis in Different Ecological Regions. The Message 2. Correlation with the State of Drinking Water

Abstract

The aim of the work was to evaluate the clinical and pathogenetic links of osteoarthritis (OA) with the qualitative composition of the drinking water in zones of patients’ residence. Material and Methods. The observation included 133 patients with primary OA aged 58.90 ± 0.83 years. In 33 urban and rural regions we have assessed levels of hardness and salinity of drinking water, concentration of chlorides, sulfates in it, phosphates and nitrates, content of toxic trace elements (Ba, Li, Ni, Pb). Results. Poor quality of drinking water in the regions where people live lead to the development of OA at a younger age, which subsequently determines the cumulative severity of articular syndrome, the nature of bone-destructive changes in the joints (osteoporosis, bone erosion, cartilage flaps), the formation of symptomatic reactive synovitis (chloride and nitrates concentration), the rate of disease progression, the emergence of intraarticular calcification deposits, osteophytosis and epiphyseal osteoporosis (degree of water salinity and hardness). The severity of OA and the rate of progression of bone-destructive changes in the joints depend on the level of trace elements, which determine the prevalence of joint syndrome, the development of Heberden’s and Bouchard’s nodes, spondylopathy, degree of reactive synovitis, osteoporosis, subchondral sclerosis, ligamentosis, intraarticular cartilage flaps and Hoffa’s bodies, and high content of Pb is a risk factor for unfavorable course of the disease. Conclusions. There were identified certain clinical and pathogenetic correlation of OA and the qualitative composition of drinking water in the regions where people live.

Keywords

• osteoarthritis
• clinical picture
• pathogenesis
• ecology
• drinking water