Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis Impact Report
The link between lifestyle and biology in osteoarthritis
In the UK alone, more than 450,000 people are diagnosed every year with osteoarthritis – a painful condition which occurs when the body can no longer maintain and repair one or more joints.
Osteoarthritis develops through a combination of factors, with sports injuries recognised as a significant contributor across the community. Research has also shown that staying physically active can greatly improve not only physical function for people living with osteoarthritis, but mental wellbeing too. Supporting people to remain active for as long as possible is therefore essential.
Fifteen years ago, there was very little UK research focused specifically on preventing osteoarthritis after sports injury. To address this gap, Arthritis UK established the Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis in 2013 — bringing together leading researchers to better understand injury-related osteoarthritis and improve long-term outcomes for active individuals.
Our research centre of excellence enters the ring
The Universities of Nottingham, Bath, Loughborough, Leeds, Southampton and Oxford joined forces with Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust to improve our understanding of the relationship between sport, exercise and osteoarthritis.
Led first by Dr Mark Batt and then Professor James Bilzon, the Centre has received more than £4.8 million in infrastructure funding from Arthritis UK. This investment has supported the development of national research networks, strengthened research capacity, addressed key unanswered scientific questions, secured additional funding opportunities, and embedded patient and public involvement at the heart of its work.
The Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis Centre aims to:
- Uncover the link between sports injuries and osteoarthritis risk
- Improve osteoarthritis care
- Enable everyone to benefit from exercise
- Tackle osteoarthritis as a team.
The Centre's key messages:
Key messages
- The increased risk of osteoarthritis in former athletes arises from traumatic injuries rather than taking part in sport itself.
- Doing no exercise at all isn’t good for your health and neither is doing extreme amounts of exercise. Avoiding joint injury is the key.
- Listen to your body when exercising, taking care to avoid injury.
Key messages
- Centre research is helping identify groups of people who may have a higher risk of osteoarthritis, for example certain ethnic groups and adults with obesity.
- Education and exercise remain two of the most effective ways to manage osteoarthritis and support long-term wellbeing.
- Studies into existing medications are showing what might and might not help relieve osteoarthritis pain.
Key messages
- Exercise can improve physical function, reduce pain, strengthen muscles, and support mental wellbeing for people living with arthritis.
- Inactivity and prolonged bed-rest can have a rapid, negative effect on our health in different ways. Exercise can restore these effects.
- Being able to produce force quickly, known as muscular power, is incredibly important for maintaining our musculoskeletal health as we age. More so than strength.
Key messages
- The Centre has brought together researchers, clinicians and global, multidisciplinary partners to advance osteoarthritis research.
- The Centre has trained and supported over 30 interns and more than 45 PhD students. Six Centre researchers have also been promoted to professors.
- Collaborative research seeded by the Centre is improving rehabilitation practices in the UK and accelerating growth in the foot and ankle osteoarthritis field of research.
£4.8m of Arthritis funding has led to
Better understanding
More than 500 publications cited more than 10,000 times
More research funding
More than £25m leveraged funding
Capacity growth
More than 210 staff and students trained
Download the Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis report as a PDF.
Download the report as a PDF