Association Between Pain at Sites Outside the Knee and Knee Cartilage Volume Loss in Elderly People Without Knee Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Study.

The number of painful sites independently predicts knee cartilage volume loss, especially in people without knee OA, suggesting that widespread pain may be an early marker of more rapid knee cartilage loss in those without radiographic knee OA. The underlying mechanism is unclear, but it is independent of anthropometrics, physical activity, and knee structural abnormalities.