Mast cell levels may explain sex differences in osteoarthritis pain

Investigators at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have discovered that at the time of total knee replacement, women have significantly increased levels of immune cells called mast cells in synovial tissue surrounding the knee joint than men. Their findings, presented today at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, ACR Convergence 2022, may help future research explore why women with knee osteoarthritis report worse pain than men.