Osteoarthrosis: sex-specific relationship to osteoporosis.

Examination of an Eskimo skeletal series demonstrated at least two etiologically distinct groups of joint deterioration divided along sex lines. Low bone mineral content (BMC) among women and high BMC among men were associated with osteoarthrosis on the tibial plateau. This finding contradicts conventional wisdom based on clinical observation, which suggests that reduced skeletal mass prevents osteoarthrosis.