Baseline clinical characteristics of subjects
| Combined (ERT and controls), n = 57 | ERT, n = 29 | Controls, n = 28 | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All values are mean (SD). | ||||
| *Values are the number of subjects in each grade. Fisher’s exact test was used to test for differences between groups. | ||||
| BMI, body mass index; ERT, oestrogen replacement therapy; SF-36, short form 36 item general health questionnaire; WOMAC, Western Ontario and Mc Master Universities osteoarthritis index. | ||||
| Age (years) | 57 (5.9) | 58 (6.0) | 56 (5.8) | 0.20 |
| Height (m) | 1.64 (0.07) | 1.65 (0.08) | 1.63 (0.07) | 0.57 |
| Weight (kg) | 70.0 (13.6) | 69.0 (11.0) | 70.9 (15.9) | 0.60 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 26 (5.1) | 25.5 (4.0) | 26.6 (6.0) | 0.42 |
| WOMAC, pain dimension | 2.1 (3.1) | 2.3 (3.6) | 1.9 (2.5) | 0.62 |
| Physical function (SF-36) | 51.2 (6.7) | 50.5 (7.6) | 52.0 (5.7) | 0.39 |
| Mental health function (SF-36) | 51.1 (8.0) | 50.1 (8.2) | 52.1 (7.8) | 0.35 |
| Exercise level | 7.4 (1.7) | 7.5 (1.5) | 7.4 (1.9) | 0.73 |
| Radiological osteoarthritis* | ||||
| Maximum grade of osteophyte | ||||
| 0 | 53 | 29 | 24 | 0.05 |
| 1 | 3 | – | 3 | |
| 2 | 1 | – | 1 | |
| Maximum grade of joint space narrowing | ||||
| 0 | 45 | 25 | 20 | 0.17 |
| 1 | 12 | 4 | 8 | |
| Medial tibial cartilage volume (ml) | 1.53 (0.31) | 1.56 (0.29) | 1.49 (0.33) | 0.41 |
| Lateral tibial cartilage volume (ml) | 1.99 (0.38) | 2.00 (0.37) | 1.97 (0.40) | 0.76 |
| Medial tibial area (μm2) | 1670 (200) | 1660 (183) | 1673 (230) | 0.80 |
| Lateral tibial area (μm2) | 1060 (140) | 1044 (142) | 1074 (132) | 0.42 |
| Time between scans (years) | 2.5 (0.16) | 2.5 (0.15) | 2.5 (0.16) | 0.32 |