Is spaceflight bad for your joints? #NASA #Space #AAOS

This was the question posed by scientist at Henry Ford Hospital. As many of you know, I am fascinated by the effect spaceflight has on the human body and in particular, the musculoskeletal system. The researchers found that after just 30 days in space, cartilage in rats began to degrade, imitating the process of osteoarthritis. They theorized that the unloading of the joints due to microgravity led to the cartilage breakdown. The biggest concern is that cartilage does not repair well, even on Earth, which is why many patients with osteoarthritis end up with hip, knee, and shoulder replacements. This could lead to long term issues for astronauts traveling to the Moon, Mars, or beyond. More research is needed, but this is a very interesting study and shows that we will need to continue to research the effects that spaceflight has on the human body.