Management of Knee Cartilage Injuries in Basketball

Abstract

Articular cartilage defects are relatively common in athletes and can affect athletic performance. Specifically, in basketball players, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown a similar level of asymptomatic focal cartilage defects compared to athletes of other sports, and these defects most often affect the patellofemoral joint. In symptomatic patients or those who fail conservative therapy, numerous surgical options exist to address the cartilage defect including chondroplasty, microfracture, osteochondral autograft transplantation, osteochondral allograft transplantation, and autologous chondrocyte implantation, in addition to newer innovations. Orthopedic surgeons must have an understanding of the advantages, disadvantages, and outcomes of these various procedures to best address the needs of a basketball player with a focal cartilage defect.