A 50-year-old woman named Ms. Zhao, a professional outdoor enthusiast who frequently goes mountain climbing, recently experienced knee pain after hiking. After visiting the hospital, she was diagnosed with damage to her knee cartilage. A reporter learned yesterday that quite a few hikers suffer from knee injuries due to climbing. Taking one hospital’s orthopedics department as an example, it receives around 200 such patients annually.
Mountain climbing can cause damage to knee cartilage
Recently, Dr. Sun Tao, an orthopedic surgeon at the city center hospital, treated a female patient in her 50s who had regularly participated in outdoor activities such as mountain climbing since she was young and had always been in good health. However, recently, she often felt knee pain after each climb. While walking wasn’t a problem, she dared not climb anymore. After examination, Dr. Sun concluded that the patient had early-stage damage to her knee cartilage. Dr. Sun said the hospital treats over 200 similar cases per year.
Dr. Sun explained that the human knee joint bears the most pressure when going up and down stairs, making it the most susceptible to cartilage damage. Patients who frequently engage in outdoor mountain climbing often put excessive strain on their knees while ascending and descending. The patella and the medial and lateral condyles of the femur in the knee joint endure much greater pressure than during normal walking. When the knee bends, it has to bear the full weight of the body, and especially when descending, the force exerted between the cartilage surfaces can reach three to six times one's body weight.
For ordinary people, normal walking and stair climbing aren’t problematic, but for those who frequently engage in outdoor sports—especially those who often climb mountains—the knees are often under constant strain, which can likely lead to cartilage damage. In severe cases, it may even trigger knee osteoarthritis (abbreviated as KOA). Currently, there are no medications or surgical procedures that can definitively alter the progression of KOA.
Dr. Sun advised that for those who love outdoor sports, it’s essential to take breaks during mountain climbing and avoid keeping the knees under prolonged excessive strain. If discomfort is felt, it’s important to rest and seek medical attention promptly. He suggested that for some middle-aged and elderly individuals, mountain climbing isn’t the only option for exercise. Where conditions allow, opting for low-intensity aerobic exercises such as swimming or cycling is the better choice.
Joint lubrication doesn’t decrease with age
Experts say that just like machines, human joints need lubricant to reduce wear between parts during operation. The “lubricant” in the human knee joint is known as “synovial fluid.” It has long been commonly believed that as people age, the secretion of synovial fluid decreases. Once there is insufficient lubrication, the cartilage surfaces rub against each other continuously, leading to wear of the knee cartilage. Dr. Wang Xiangli, director of the Joint Surgery Department at Haici Medical Group, told reporters that in reality, the secretion of knee synovial fluid rarely falls short in quantity. For the vast majority of people, the amount of synovial fluid secreted matches their level of activity and is just enough to be absorbed. Some patients with inflammation may secrete too much synovial fluid, causing swelling that requires treatment.