http://media.soundmedicine.org/segments/072113_3.mp3
In the United States, 600,000 knee replacements are performed each year, and nearly half of all adults will have osteoarthritis in at least one knee by age 85. A recent study showed that athletes who participate in long-distance running, wrestling, soccer or football are more likely to develop osteoarthritis in the knee later in life. Ethel Frese, PT, DPT, told "Sound Medicine" host Barbara Lewis that knees are vulnerable when there’s misalignment in either the hip or ankle, but athletes develop osteoarthritis because of injuries, not exercise. She talks about what kinds of braces do and don’t help the wearer. She also talks about the impact of obesity: One pound of weight puts 4 pounds of stress on the knee. Frese is an associate professor of physical medicine at the Doisy College of Health Sciences.