Varus thrust is a risk factor for incident and worsening knee pain among patients with or at risk for osteoarthritis, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

“As knee symptoms are more indicative of clinical intervention than structural changes, separate inquiry into the relation of varus knee thrust to knee symptoms (ie, pain) is warranted,” Alexandra E. Wink, PhD, of Boston University, and colleagues wrote. “Previous studies have shown a cross-sectional association between varus knee thrust and knee pain. Longitudinal data to confirm the directionality of the relationship between thrust and pain and to describe the effect of thrust on both the onset of new pain and worsening of existing pain are lacking.”