The role of cartilage degradation biomarkers in understanding the development of post-traumatic osteoarthritis following acute articular cartilage damage - A review
It is known that patients who suffer acute anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury are highly likely to develop post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) later in life. ACL injury is associated with concomitant acute articular damage. It is unclear why patients develop PTOA following this injury and what, if any, modifications can be made to current treatment protocols to prevent PTOA. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the human acute articular cartilage damage that is associated with ACL injury and to summarise the data and insights provided to date by studies assessing levels of cartilage degradation biomarkers following acute ACL injury in humans. Potentially these markers could be used for longitudinal studies investigating the clinical course of articular cartilage damage associated with ACL injury and to monitor the efficacy of treatment protocols that could prevent or delay the development of PTOA. © TOUCH BRIEFINGS 2012.