{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T05:48:10Z","timestamp":1785217690086,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,2]],"date-time":"2022-06-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1654128000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Physiol."],"abstract":"<jats:p><jats:bold>Background:<\/jats:bold> Sport climbing places high mechanical loads on fingers. In 2012, our research group demonstrated adaptations of climbers\u2019 cortical bones with the presence of osteophytes compared to non-climbing controls.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Objectives:<\/jats:bold> 1) To investigate 10-year changes in cortical bone thickness, base osteophyte occurrence and radiological signs of osteoarthritis in the fingers of elite male sport climbers with more than 25\u00a0years of climbing history and 2) to compare cortical bone thickness, base osteophyte occurrence and radiological signs of osteoarthritis between male sport climbers and age-matched controls at the 10-year follow-up.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Methods:<\/jats:bold> All 31 elite sport climbers who participated in both the baseline and 10-year follow-up assessments (follow-up rate 100%) were examined by means of X-rays. Cortical bone thickness, presence of osteophytes and signs of osteoarthritis according to Kellgren-Lawrence were obtained and compared to the baseline values 10\u00a0years earlier and to age-matched controls at the follow-up (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> = 15).<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results:<\/jats:bold> Significantly increased cortical bone thickness over the past 10\u00a0years was observed in climbers (mean absolute difference with 95% CI:0.98\u00a0mm (0.77 mm, 1.19\u00a0mm); <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> &amp;lt;0.001). Moreover, compared to age-matched controls, climbers had significantly thicker cortical bone at the 10-year follow-up (mean absolute difference with 95% CI:0.86\u00a0mm (0.61 mm, 1.12\u00a0mm); <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic> &amp;lt;0.001). In climbers, osteophytes and clear signs of osteoarthritis were mainly seen in DIP joints. Signs of osteoarthritis according to Kellgren-Lawrence were more prevalent than 10\u00a0years before in most joints. In lateral radiographs, base osteophytes were not significantly more prevalent than 10\u00a0years before in most of the joints. The percentage of climbers who had osteophytes in any DIP (PIP) joint increased from 93.5% (67.7%) at baseline to 100% (74.2%) at the 10-year follow-up. The percentage of climbers who had clear signs of osteoarthritis according to Kellgren-Lawrence in any DIP (PIP) joint increased from 12.9% (9.7%) at baseline to 74.2% (64.5%) at 10-year follow-up. Only a few such degenerative changes were found in age-matched controls.<\/jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusion:<\/jats:bold> An accumulation of repetitive climbing-related stress to the fingers of elite sport climbers over the career may induce lifelong mechano-adaptation of the cortical bone thickness of all phalanges. At the 10-year follow-up, a further significant increase in radiographic signs of osteoarthritic changes was observed.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2022.893369","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,2]],"date-time":"2022-06-02T22:09:33Z","timestamp":1654207773000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Cortical Bone Thickness, Base Osteophyte Occurrence and Radiological Signs of Osteoarthritis in the Fingers of Male Elite Sport Climbers: A Cross-Sectional 10-Year Follow-Up Study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Torsten","family":"Pastor","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefan","family":"Fr\u00f6hlich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tatjana","family":"Pastor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"J\u00f6rg","family":"Sp\u00f6rri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andreas","family":"Schweizer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","first-page":"497","article-title":"Radiological Changes and Signs of Osteoarthritis in the Fingers of Male Performance Sport Climbers","volume":"51","author":"Allenspach","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Sports Med. Phys. Fit."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"185","DOI":"10.1136\/bjsm.28.3.185","article-title":"Radiographic Changes in the Hands of Rock Climbers","volume":"28","author":"Bollen","year":"1994","journal-title":"Br. J. Sports Med."},{"key":"B3","volume-title":"Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences","author":"Cohen","year":"1988"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ptsp.2021.09.006","article-title":"Long Term Evolution of Soft Tissue Response in the Fingers of High-Level Sport Climbers: A Cross-Sectional 10 Year Follow-Up Study","volume":"52","author":"Fr\u00f6hlich","year":"2021","journal-title":"Phys. Ther. Sport"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"366","DOI":"10.1007\/s00247-017-4033-4","article-title":"Ultrasound Evaluation of Stress Injuries and Physiological Adaptations in the Fingers of Adolescent Competitive Rock Climbers","volume":"48","author":"Garcia","year":"2018","journal-title":"Pediatr. Radiol."},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wem.2011.12.006","article-title":"Physiological Bone Responses in the Fingers after More Than 10 Years of High-Level Sport Climbing: Analysis of Cortical Parameters","volume":"23","author":"Hahn","year":"2012","journal-title":"Wilderness & Environ. Med."},{"key":"B7","first-page":"248","article-title":"MRT of the Hand and Wrist of Sport Climbers. Imaging of Injuries and Consequences of Stress Overload","volume":"32","author":"Heuck","year":"1992","journal-title":"Radiologe"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"494","DOI":"10.1136\/ard.16.4.494","article-title":"Radiological Assessment of Osteo-Arthrosis","volume":"16","author":"Kellgren","year":"1957","journal-title":"Ann. Rheumatic Dis."},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"73","DOI":"10.1055\/s-2000-316","article-title":"Value of High-Resolution Ultrasound in the Evaluation of Finger Injuries in Extreme Sport Climbers","volume":"21","author":"Klauser","year":"2000","journal-title":"Ultraschall Med."},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2","DOI":"10.1136\/bjsports-2016-096871","article-title":"Sport Climbing: Medical Considerations for This New Olympic Discipline","volume":"51","author":"Lutter","year":"2017","journal-title":"Br. J. Sports Med."},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"20","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clinbiomech.2008.10.002","article-title":"Friction between Finger Flexor Tendons and the Pulley System in the Crimp Grip Position","volume":"24","author":"Moor","year":"2009","journal-title":"Clin. Biomech."},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"852","DOI":"10.1136\/bjsm.2007.034827","article-title":"Physiological Responses to Rock Climbing in Young Climbers","volume":"41","author":"Morrison","year":"2007","journal-title":"Br. J. Sports Med."},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"269","DOI":"10.1080\/17461391.2019.1631389","article-title":"Cartilage Abnormalities and Osteophytes in the Fingers of Elite Sport Climbers: An Ultrasonography-Based Cross-Sectional Study","volume":"20","author":"Pastor","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur. J. Sport Sci."},{"key":"B14","first-page":"734","article-title":"Radiographic Osteoarthritis in the Hands of Rock Climbers","volume":"27","author":"Rohrbough","year":"1998","journal-title":"Am. J. Orthop. (Belle Mead NJ)"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"915","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbiomech.2005.01.028","article-title":"Biomechanical Model for the Determination of the Forces Acting on the Finger Pulley System","volume":"39","author":"Roloff","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Biomechanics"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1093\/rheumatology\/39.suppl_2.3","article-title":"Epidemiology of Rheumatic Diseases","volume":"39","author":"Sangha","year":"2000","journal-title":"Rheumatol. Oxf."},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1034","DOI":"10.1136\/ard.2007.079020","article-title":"Differences in Descriptions of Kellgren and Lawrence Grades of Knee Osteoarthritis","volume":"67","author":"Schiphof","year":"2008","journal-title":"Ann. Rheumatic Dis."},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1688","DOI":"10.1177\/0363546503262805","article-title":"Radiographic Changes in the Hands and Fingers of Young, High-Level Climbers","volume":"32","author":"Sch\u00f6ffl","year":"2004","journal-title":"Am. J. Sports Med."},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"62","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wem.2014.08.013","article-title":"Injury Trends in Rock Climbers: Evaluation of a Case Series of 911 Injuries between 2009 and 2012","volume":"26","author":"Sch\u00f6ffl","year":"2015","journal-title":"Wilderness & Environ. Med."},{"key":"B20","first-page":"70","article-title":"Finger Pain in Rock Climbers: Reaching the Right Differential Diagnosis and Therapy","volume":"47","author":"Sch\u00f6ffl","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Sports Med. Phys. Fit."},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"86","DOI":"10.1177\/0363546506293256","article-title":"Radiographic Adaptations to the Stress of High-Level Rock Climbing in Junior Athletes","volume":"35","author":"Sch\u00f6ffl","year":"2007","journal-title":"Am. J. Sports Med."},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"232596711879284","DOI":"10.1177\/2325967118792847","article-title":"Long-Term Radiographic Adaptations to Stress of High-Level and Recreational Rock Climbing in Former Adolescent Athletes: An 11-Year Prospective Longitudinal Study","volume":"6","author":"Sch\u00f6ffl","year":"2018","journal-title":"Orthop. J. Sports Med."},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"696","DOI":"10.1080\/17461391.2015.1048747","article-title":"Connective Tissue Adaptations in the Fingers of Performance Sport Climbers","volume":"15","author":"Schreiber","year":"2015","journal-title":"Eur. J. Sport Sci."},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"562","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clinbiomech.2007.12.009","article-title":"Middle and Ring Fingers Are More Exposed to Pulley Rupture Than Index and Little during Sport-Climbing: a Biomechanical Explanation","volume":"23","author":"Vigouroux","year":"2008","journal-title":"Clin. Biomech."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Physiology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fphys.2022.893369\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,2]],"date-time":"2022-06-02T22:09:41Z","timestamp":1654207781000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fphys.2022.893369\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,2]]},"references-count":24,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fphys.2022.893369"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fphys.2022.893369","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-042X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-042X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,6,2]]},"article-number":"893369"}}