Abstract

Three hundred and sixty-four female specialist teachers of physical education who qualified between 1935 and 1950 agreed to have x-rays of the lumbar spine, hips and knees. Fifty-two has osteoarthrosis of the hip, 65 osteoarthrosis of the knee and 221 degenerative change in the spine. Overall osteoarthrosis of the knee was significantly less common than in a comparable sample from the general population (p < 0.001), severe or moderate osteoarthrosis being equally common in both groups but minor in minimal osteoarthrosis being much less common in the teachers. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of osteoarthrosis of the hip between the two populations though severe osteoarthrosis of the hip was slightly more common in the teachers.