Impact of collagen hydrolysate in middle-aged athletes with knee and ankle osteochondral lesions: A case series

Abstract

Osteochondral lesions (OCL) are a significant issue among professional and amateur athletes in several sports modalities. Lack of treatment or inadequate therapy may aggravate the symptoms and jeopardize the chance of a complete functional recovery. Multidisciplinary treatment is the mainstay of OCL, including physiotherapy, physical rehabilitation with aerobic and anaerobic exercises and lately, the use of nutritional supplementation with collagen hydrolysate (CH). Case Series: We report three cases of OCL in athletes, which were diagnosed and followed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan after multidisciplinary treatment including nutritional supplementation with Fortigel® a specific collagen hydrolysate that contains bioactive collagen peptides. A literature review on the role of collagen hydrolysate and its nutritional aspect in supporting the regeneration of articular cartilage is also presented. Conclusion: MRI images of patients assessed in this study depict the recovery of the articular surfaces after the treatment. Also, studies in athletes presenting joint pain but otherwise not diagnosed with osteoarthritis or other osteoarticular diseases have demonstrated the beneficial effects of CH intake.