Articular Cartilage Injury in Athletes

Articular cartilage lesions in the athletic population are observed with increasing frequency and, due to limited intrinsic healing capacity, can lead to progressive pain and functional limitation over time. If left untreated, isolated cartilage lesions can lead to progressive chondropenia or global cartilage loss over time. A chondropenia curve is described to help predict the outcome of cartilage injury based on different lesion and patient characteristics. Nutriceuticals and chondroprotective agents are being investigated as tools to slow the development of chondropenia. Several operative techniques have been described for articular cartilage repair or replacement and, more recently, cartilage regeneration. Rehabilitation guidelines are being developed to meet the needs of these new techniques. Next-generation techniques are currently evaluated to optimize articular cartilage repair biology and to provide a repair cartilage tissue that can withstand the high mechanical loads experienced by the athlete with consistent long-term durability.