Current concepts for rehabilitation and return to sport after knee articular cartilage repair in the athlete

Articular cartilage injury is observed with increasing frequency in both elite and amateur athletes and results from the significant acute and chronic joint stress associated with impact sports. Left untreated, articular cartilage defects can lead to chronic joint degeneration and athletic and funct...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy 2012-03, Vol.42 (3), p.254-273
Main Authors: Mithoefer, Kai, Hambly, Karen, Logerstedt, David, Ricci, Margherita, Silvers, Holly, Della Villa, Stefano
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Athletic Injuries - rehabilitation
Athletic Injuries - surgery
Biomechanical Phenomena
Cartilage, Articular - injuries
Cartilage, Articular - pathology
Cartilage, Articular - surgery
Chondrocytes
Humans
Knee Injuries - rehabilitation
Knee Injuries - surgery
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Treatment Outcome
Weight-Bearing
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Summary:Articular cartilage injury is observed with increasing frequency in both elite and amateur athletes and results from the significant acute and chronic joint stress associated with impact sports. Left untreated, articular cartilage defects can lead to chronic joint degeneration and athletic and functional disability. Treatment of articular cartilage defects in the athletic population presents a therapeutic challenge due to the high mechanical demands of athletic activity. Several articular cartilage repair techniques have been shown to successfully restore articular cartilage surfaces and allow athletes to return to high-impact sports. Postoperative rehabilitation is a critical component of the treatment process for athletic articular cartilage injury and should take into consideration the biology of the cartilage repair technique, cartilage defect characteristics, and each athlete's sport-specific demands to optimize functional outcome. Systematic, stepwise rehabilitation with criteria-based progression is recommended for an individualized rehabilitation of each athlete not only to achieve initial return to sport at the preinjury level but also to continue sports participation and reduce risk for reinjury or joint degeneration under the high mechanical demands of athletic activity.
ISSN:0190-6011
1938-1344
DOI:10.2519/jospt.2012.3665