Osteoarthritis in Basketball Players

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is especially prevalent in basketball players. Due primarily to the high-intensity cyclic loading and regular occurrence of injuries that impact normal anatomic biomechanics, basketball players are at a unique risk for early onset osteoarthritis of the knees and ankle especially when compared with participants of other sports. Through various imaging modalities and diagnostic instrument, early onset osteoarthritis can be detected in the young basketball athlete and provide time to properly intervene before irreparable damage may occur. Through a combination of nonsurgical and surgical options, osteoarthritis can be managed in the active athlete and then more definitively treated once the playing career is over.