Scientific Evidence Base for Cartilage Injury and Repair in the Athlete.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Knee injuries, including anterior cruciate ligament and meniscal tears, are prevalent in soccer and high-impact sports.
• Articular cartilage lesions are a frequent complication, affecting 36-38% of high-level athletes.
• Treating cartilage defects in athletes is challenging due to the high demands of impact sports on repair tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current scientific evidence on cartilage repair techniques for athletes.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of different surgical interventions for athletic knee injuries.
• To identify factors influencing return to sport after cartilage repair in athletes.

Main Methods:

• Review of scientific literature on cartilage repair in athletes.
• Analysis of data regarding microfracture, osteochondral grafting, and autologous chondrocyte implantation.
• Examination of factors affecting return to preinjury level of sport.

Main Results:

• Microfracture and autologous chondrocyte implantation have more available evidence than osteochondral grafting.
• Return to sport rates and times vary among athletes and techniques.
• Early cartilage repair is associated with better outcomes for return to sport.
• Younger, high-level athletes tend to achieve better results.

Conclusions:

• High-quality repair tissue and early intervention are significant factors for successful return to sport in athletes.
• Addressing sensorimotor deficits and accompanying pathologies is also important for optimal recovery.
• Further research may be needed to optimize osteochondral grafting outcomes in athletes.