Objective:

To evaluate the implications of body composition and metabolic obesity subtypes on patterns of physical functioning in individuals with or at risk for knee osteoarthritis.

Approach:

• Study Sample: Data from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST) involving 1,211 participants with a baseline BMI ≥30 kg/m2 were analyzed, with follow-up data collected at seven years across multiple time points.

Key Findings:

• Individuals with obesity and low muscle mass or cardiometabolic comorbidities had poorer physical function over seven years compared to those without these features.
• The overlap of low muscle mass and cardiometabolic comorbidities was associated with a greater negative influence on physical function.
• Broadly defining obesity by BMI may limit the understanding of functional variations within this group.

Interpretation:

The study suggests that defining obesity by body composition and metabolic health may provide better insights into functional outcomes in knee OA.

Limitations:

• The study did not use consensus diagnostic criteria for sarcopenic obesity due to data limitations, which may affect the interpretation of results.
• The reliance on self-reported measures for physical function may introduce bias.

Conclusion:

Understanding obesity subtypes may help in developing targeted prevention and treatment strategies for individuals with knee OA.