Former professional rugby players have a high risk of developing osteoarthritis, according to results of a study published in the medical journal Scientific Reports. Researchers at the University of Oxford and the UK Department of Health analyzed medical data via a questionnaire from 259 former rugby players from the England national team or from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, today over 50 years old. The results were compared with those of 5,000 non-athletic participants in the study.
More cases of osteoporosis
The results of the study revealed that rugby players aged 50 and over were more likely to suffer fromarthritis, specific arthroplasty of the hip and knee and to haveosteoporosis.
More specifically, the researchers observed that these former athletes were four times more likely to suffer from osteoarthritis, a degradation of cartilage in the joints and six times more likely to live on a daily basis with a joint prosthesis, most often from the hip or knee.
Almost three times as many rugby players also suffer from osteoporosis, a loss of bone strength that promotes fractures.
However, the majority of participants (95%) in the study said that given the risks and benefits of playing rugby, they would not change anything in their past life and 78% of them also reported that ‘they would recommend the sport to their children, relatives and friends.
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