Women who have knee and hip replacements due to osteoarthritis (OA) have different patterns of sex hormone concentrations compared with the general population, according to Melbourne researchers.

Their prospective study of a cohort of over 2,600 middle-aged women with ten-year follow-up found that higher oestradiol concentrations reduced the risk of total knee replacement by about a third.

The finding was consistent with a previous study showing women using long-term postmenopausal oestrogen therapy had greater knee cartilage volume than non-users, the researchers from Monash University and Alfred hospital said.

Greater androstenedione concentrations cut the risk of total hip replacement, also by about a third, while greater levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) was linked to higher incidence of hip replacement.

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