SynthesisSports medicine - open2023
Immediate and Delayed Effects of Joint Loading Activities on Knee and Hip Cartilage: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Sports medicine - open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Acute circulating cartilage-related biomarker responses differ between walking and cycling in healthy young men.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Article
- Minimalist Footwear and Knee Joint Loading During Walking in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review of Evidence for Osteoarthritis Prevention.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Review
- Falls after hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome: Prevalence and risk factors for revision hip arthroscopy.Journal of experimental orthopaedics · 2026Article
- Shoulder Complex Dysfunction Through an Evolutionary Lens: The Need for Closed Kinetic Chain Loading in Upper Extremity Program Design.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Review
- Detection of physiological changes in knee cartilage using parametric T2 relaxation maps estimated with a dictionary method.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Article
- Exercise-Induced Changes in Knee Cartilage In Vivo: Comparing MRI Sequences.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2025Article
- Asymptomatic female softball pitchers have altered hip morphology and cartilage composition.Scientific reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe impact of activity-related joint loading on cartilage is not clear. Abnormal loading is considered to be a mechanical driver of osteoarthritis (OA), yet moderate amounts of physical activity and rehabilitation exercise can have positive effects on articular cartilage. Our aim was to investigate the immediate effects of joint loading activities on knee and hip cartilage in healthy adults, as assessed using magnetic resonance imaging. We also investigated delayed effects of activities on healthy cartilage and the effects of activities on cartilage in adults with, or at risk of, OA. We explored the association of sex, age and loading duration with cartilage changes.
methodsA systematic review of six databases identified studies assessing change in adult hip and knee cartilage using MRI within 48 h before and after application of a joint loading intervention/activity. Studies included adults with healthy cartilage or those with, or at risk of, OA. Joint loading activities included walking, hopping, cycling, weightbearing knee bends and simulated standing within the scanner. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random-effects meta-analysis estimated the percentage change in compartment-specific cartilage thickness or volume and composition (T2 relaxation time) outcomes. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system evaluated certainty of evidence.
resultsForty studies of 653 participants were included after screening 5159 retrieved studies. Knee cartilage thickness or volume decreased immediately following all loading activities investigating healthy adults; however, GRADE assessment indicated very low certainty evidence. Patellar cartilage thickness and volume reduced 5.0% (95% CI 3.5, 6.4, I
conclusionThere is very low certainty evidence that minimal knee cartilage thickness and volume and composition (T2 relaxation time) reductions (0-5%) occur after weightbearing knee bends, simulated standing, walking, hopping/jumping and cycling, and the impact of knee bends may be dose dependent. Our findings provide a framework of cartilage responses to loading in healthy adults which may have utility for clinicians when designing and prescribing rehabilitation programs and providing exercise advice.
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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.