title: Prevalence of Articular Cartilage Lesions and Surgical Clinical Outcomes in Football (Soccer) Players' Knees: A Systematic Review.
abstract: To systematize the available scientific literature on the prevalence of articular cartilage and/or osteochondral lesions in football (soccer) players' knees, and overview the surgical procedures and functional outcomes and return to sports.
  
  
  
  A comprehensive search using Pubmed, Cochrane Library, SPORTDiscus, and CINAHL databases was carried out until September 30, 2015. All English language studies that assessed the outcomes of a surgical technique for the treatment of articular cartilage lesions in football players' knees, with a minimum follow-up of 12 months, were included. The reference list of the most relevant papers was screened. The main outcomes of interest were the clinical, arthroscopy or imaging primary outcomes and the return to sports rate. The methodological and reporting qualities were assessed according to Coleman methodology score.
  
  
  
  The search provided 485 titles and abstracts. Five studies were eligible for inclusion (mean Coleman score of 37.2 points), comprising a total of 183 football players with a mean age of 25.7 years. A total of 217 articular cartilage and/or osteochondral lesions were reported, where the medial and lateral femoral condyles were the most common sites of lesion. The surgical procedures investigated were mosaicplasty, microfracture, autologous chondrocyte implantation, and chondral debridement.
  
  
  
  No definitive conclusion could be made in respect to the best current surgical technique for articular cartilage and osteochondral lesions. Microfracture and mosaicplasty can provide a faster return to competition and faster clinical and functional results, whereas autologous chondrocyte implantation and/or matrix-induced autologous chondrocytes implantation procedures can enhance longstanding clinical and functional results.
  
  
  
  Level IV, systematic review of Level III and IV studies.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sports, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Clínica do Dragão, Espregueira-Mendes Sports Centre-FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Porto, Portugal; Dom Henrique Research Centre, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic and Trauma Department, Campus Biomedico University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vasta
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic and Trauma Department, Campus Biomedico University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Papalia
authors.affiliation: Clínica do Dragão, Espregueira-Mendes Sports Centre-FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Porto, Portugal; Dom Henrique Research Centre, Porto, Portugal; Orthopaedic Department, Centro Hospitalar Póvoa de Varzim, Vila do Conde, Portugal; 3B's Research Group-Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
authors.forename: Hélder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Clínica do Dragão, Espregueira-Mendes Sports Centre-FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Porto, Portugal; 3B's Research Group-Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
authors.forename: J Miguel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: 3B's Research Group-Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rui L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Reis
authors.affiliation: Clínica do Dragão, Espregueira-Mendes Sports Centre-FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Porto, Portugal; Dom Henrique Research Centre, Porto, Portugal; 3B's Research Group-Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal; Orthopaedics Department of Minho University, Minho, Portugal. Electronic address: espregueira@dhresearchcentre.com.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Espregueira-Mendes
mesh_terms: D054544:Arthroplasty, Subchondral; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000637:transplantation; D003646:Debridement; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000601:surgery; D000068958:Return to Sport; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*