Emerging options for treatment of articular cartilage injury in the athlete

Articular cartilage injury is observed with increasing frequency in both elite and amateur athletes and results from the significant joint stress associated particularly with high-impact sports. The lack of spontaneous healing of these joint surface defects leads to progressive joint pain and mechanical symptoms with resulting functional impairment and limitation of athletic participation. Left untreated, articular cartilage defects can lead to chronic joint degeneration and athletic disability. Articular cartilage repair in athletes requires effective and durable joint surface restoration that can withstand the significant joint stresses generated during athletic activity. Several techniques for articular cartilage repair have been developed recently, which can successfully restore articular cartilage surfaces and allow for return to high-impact athletics after articular cartilage injury. Besides these existing techniques, new promising scientific concepts and techniques are emerging that incorporate modern tissue engineering technologies and promise further improvement for the treatment of these challenging injuries in the demanding athletic population.