SynthesisKnee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA2017
Return to sport after the surgical management of articular cartilage lesions in the knee: a meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 78 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
78 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- High Variability in Return-to-Sport Assessment After Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation of the Knee: A Systematic Review.Cartilage · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The cost-effectiveness of osteochondral allograft transplantation in the knee.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2019Pooled it
- Combined cartilage thickness and mechanical property mismatch drives local strain amplification at the patellar osteochondral allograft interface.Biomechanics and modeling in mechanobiology · 2026Article
- Two-Year Outcomes of ACL Reconstruction With Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation Versus Isolated ACL Reconstruction: A Matched Cohort Study.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2026Article
- Rehabilitation and Return to Play Protocols Following Osteochondral Autograft and Allograft Transplantation for Knee Chondral Lesions in Athletic Populations.Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine · 2026Review
- Treatment options for concomitant cartilage damage in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-injured athlete.Annals of joint · 2026Review
- Midterm Outcomes of Primary Osteochondral Autograft Transfer for Symptomatic Chondral Defects of the Knee.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2026Article
- Radiographic analysis of cartilage surface restoration in patients with pediatric capitellar osteochondritis dissecans lesions following osteochondral autologous transplantation.JSES international · 2026Article
- Avascular Necrosis Secondary to Traumatic Posterior Hip Dislocation.Ochsner journal · 2026Article
- Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation of the Femoral Head via Surgical Hip Dislocation: Survivorship and Patient Reported Outcome Measures at Minimum 2-Year Follow-Up.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2025Article
- Effect of Cartilage Injuries on Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction Outcomes at Midterm Follow-up.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2025Article
- HAMA-SBMA hydrogel with anti-inflammatory properties delivers cartilage organoids, boosting cartilage regeneration.Journal of nanobiotechnology · 2025Article
- Cell-free biomimetic osteochondral scaffold for the treatment of knee articular surface lesions: Clinical outcomes differ based on patient and lesion characteristics.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2025Article
- Advanced therapy with mesenchymal stromal cells for knee osteoarthritis: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Journal of orthopaedic translation · 2024Review
- [Advances in clinical repair techniques for localized knee cartilage lesions].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2024Review
- Early Complication Rates Are Equivalent Between Isolated Cartilage Restoration and Concomitant Cartilage Restoration and Osteotomy of the Knee.Cartilage · 2024Article
- Article
- Outcomes and Return to Sport After Knee Osteochondral Allograft Transplant in Professional Athletes.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2024Article
- Return to Play After Knee Articular Cartilage Restoration: Surgical Options, Rehabilitation Protocols, and Performance Outcomes.Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine · 2023Review
18 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeOptimal surgical treatment of chondral defects in an athletic population remains highly controversial and has yet to be determined. The purpose of this review was to (1) report data on return to sport and (2) compare activity and functional outcome measures following various cartilage restoration techniques.
methodsA comprehensive review was performed for studies with return-to-sport outcomes after microfracture (MFX), osteochondral autograft transfer (OAT), osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA), and autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). All studies containing return-to-sport participation with minimum 2-year post-operative activity-based outcomes were included. A meta-analysis comparing rate of return to sport between each surgical intervention was conducted using a random-effects model.
resultsForty-four studies met inclusion criteria (18 Level I/II, 26 Level III/IV). In total, 2549 patients were included (1756 M, 793 F) with an average age of 35 years and follow-up of 47 months. Return to sport at some level was 76 % overall, with highest rates of return after OAT (93 %), followed by OCA (88 %), ACI (82 %), and MFX (58 %). Osteochondral autograft transfer showed the fastest return to sports (5.2 ± 1.8 months) compared to 9.1 ± 2.2 months for MFX, 9.6 ± 3.0 months for OCA and 11.8 ± 3.8 months for ACI (P < 0.001). A meta-regression was conducted due to heterogeneity in preoperative factors such as patient age, lesion size, and preoperative Tegner score. None of these factors were found to be significant determinants for rate of return to sport.
conclusionIn conclusion, in this meta-analysis of 2549 athletes, cartilage restoration surgery had a 76 % return to sport at mid-term follow-up. Osteochondral autograft transfer offered a faster recovery and appeared to have a higher rate of return to preinjury athletics, but heterogeneity in lesion size, athlete age, and concomitant surgical procedures are important factors to consider when assessing individual athletes. This study reports on the rate of return to sport in athletes undergoing various procedures for symptomatic chondral defects. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.