title: Magnetic resonance imaging-documented chondral injuries about the knee in college football players: 3-year National Football League Combine data.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the incidence and risk factors for knee cartilage injury in elite college football players invited to attend the US National Football League (NFL) Scouting Combine over a 3-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  All players entering the NFL Scouting Combine (National Invitational Camp) from 2005 through 2007 were evaluated. "At-risk" knees underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the results were evaluated for chondral injuries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 3-year period reviewed, a total of 980 players were available for analysis, and a total of 516 players' knee MRI scans were obtained (53% of all players at the Combine). The total number of full-thickness chondral injuries evident on MRI was 197 (20.1%) among all players, or 38.2% of the players who had an MRI scan. Of the players, 30 (3.06% of all players at the Combine, or 5.8% of the players who had an MRI scan) had isolated medial compartment full-thickness chondral injuries, 41 (4.2%, or 7.9%) had isolated lateral compartment full-thickness chondral injuries, 48 (4.9%, or 9.3%) had patellofemoral compartment full-thickness chondral damage, and 78 (7.96%, or 15.1%) had full-thickness chondral injuries in more than 1 compartment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The epidemiologic and risk assessment data presented in this study offer a cross-section of a young and elite athletic population who were "prescreened" at the NFL Combine over a 3-year period and judged to have at-risk knees. The total number of full-thickness chondral injuries evident on MRI was 197 (20.1%) among all players, or 38.2% of the players who had an MRI scan: 30 players (3.06%, or 5.8%) had an isolated medial compartment full-thickness chondral injury, 41 players (4.2%, or 7.9%) had an isolated lateral compartment full-thickness chondral injury, 48 players (4.9%, or 9.3%) had isolated patellofemoral compartment full-thickness chondral damage, and 78 players (7.96%, or 15.1%) had full-thickness chondral injuries in more than 1 compartment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level IV, diagnostic study.
authors.affiliation: Atlanta Medical Center, Georgia 30307, USA. khirshorn@netscape.net
authors.forename: Kurt C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hirshorn
authors.forename: Taylor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cates
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gillogly
mesh_terms: D056352:Athletes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D005538:Football / Q000293:injuries; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010808:Physical Examination; D015995:Prevalence; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation; D055815:Young Adult