Sport activity and early knee osteoarthritis: an up-to-date review of risk factors, diagnosis, classification and management

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a very common condition affecting the knee joint and compromising patients’ quality of life because of disabling pain and progressive loss of function. In recent years a special interest has been developed in the early stage of OA, in order to identify the patients at risk of disease progression and to initiate early interventions trying to slow-down the evolution of the disease. In addition, early OA in young and former athletes represents a growing problem with about one-third of cases involving the knee joint, especially considering the rising prevalence of high-intensity sports practice among the general population. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the most up-to-date available information on diagnosing and managing early knee OA, especially in former athletes, which often show the features of an imminent OA. The definition and the classification, the risk factors, and the role of sports activities both as a predisposing factor and as a treatment have been thoroughly reported, together with the latest evidence on conservative and surgical options to manage early knee OA.