This week in Sports Medicine

Jul 20–26, 2026 · 8 new studies, 8 reviews · Sports Medicine archive · All weeks

The new Sports Medicine research The Reduction sent the week of Jul 20–26, 2026, with the week’s most recent reviews, each with a one-line summary.

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New research

  1. Peptide Therapeutics in Orthopaedics: Current Evidence and Future Directions.

    Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American) · Sep 02 2026 · PubMed

    This review surveys peptide therapeutics in orthopaedics, from established agents like teriparatide to emerging antimicrobial and cartilage-targeting peptides, highlighting AI-driven design as a future direction.

  2. A Novel Autologous Osteoperiosteal Composite for Osteochondral Regeneration.

    American Journal of Sports Medicine · Aug 2026 · PubMed

    Rabbit study shows an autologous osteoperiosteal composite graft outperforms microfracture in osteochondral defect repair, offering a promising single-stage cartilage regeneration strategy.

  3. Early EMG-based Low Supraspinatus Activity Exercises After Arthroscopic Repair of Medium-Sized Rotator Cuff Tears: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery · Jul 15 2026 · PubMed

    EMG-based early low supraspinatus-load exercises after rotator cuff repair reduce short-term pain without compromising long-term functional outcomes compared to immobilization.

  4. Anteromedializing tibial tubercle osteotomy does not restore femorotibial and patellofemoral pressures to native values in a human biomechanical model with increased femoral anteversion.

    Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy · Jul 14 2026 · PubMed

    A cadaveric study found that anteromedializing tibial tubercle osteotomy only partially corrects abnormal joint pressures caused by increased femoral anteversion, suggesting proximal rotational correction may also be needed.

  5. Patient-specific talar resurfacing improves pain and function at 24 months in osteochondral lesions of the talus.

    Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy · Jul 13 2026 · PubMed

    A prospective study of patient-specific talar resurfacing implants for osteochondral talar lesions showed sustained pain and functional improvement with high return-to-sport rates at 24 months.

  6. Sport participation after isolated distal femoral osteotomy in young patients: High return-to-sport rates and predictive role of preoperative activity level.

    Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy · Jul 13 2026 · PubMed

    Distal femoral osteotomy in young, active patients achieved 79.4% return-to-sport rate; higher preoperative activity level predicted successful return to sport participation.

  7. Prediction of Acromial and Scapular Spine Fractures After Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty using Machine Learning: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

    Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery · Jul 03 2026 · PubMed

    Machine learning model predicts acromial and scapular spine fractures after reverse shoulder arthroplasty; medialized-distalized implants, cuff tear arthropathy, older age, and osteoporosis are strongest risk factors.

  8. Natural Language Processing Improves Postoperative Discharge Instructions.

    Arthroscopy · Jun 28 2026 · PubMed

    Generative AI reduced orthopaedic discharge instruction reading grade levels from 9.8 to 7.5 and improved understandability and actionability scores significantly.

Recent reviews

  1. Progressive Understanding of Cord, Capsule, and Cable Functional Anatomy Can Optimize Rotator Cuff Outcomes: A 25-Year Perspective.

    Arthroscopy · Jan 2026 · PubMed

    This 25-year expert perspective describes evolving understanding of rotator cuff capsular cable and cord anatomy, proposing renaming certain partial tears as "PASCA" lesions to better guide repair strategy.

  2. Surgical treatment of anterior glenohumeral instability: a historical review.

    Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery · Dec 2024 · PubMed

    Historical review traces the evolution of anterior shoulder instability surgery from Bankart's 1923 open repair through modern arthroscopic and bone-loss techniques guided by the glenoid track concept.

  3. Suture Button Fixation in Shoulder Instability Surgery to Achieve Bone Healing: A Critical Analysis Review.

    JBJS Reviews · Dec 01 2024 · PubMed

    Suture button fixation for Latarjet and anterior glenoid reconstruction provides good short- and mid-term outcomes with potential superior bone healing compared to rigid screw fixation.

  4. The Role of Inlay and Inset Glenoid Implants in Anatomic Total Shoulder Arthroplasty.

    Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons · Dec 01 2024 · PubMed

    Newer inlay and inset glenoid implants may reduce loosening in younger total shoulder arthroplasty patients and enable return to sports, but long-term outcomes require further study.

  5. Management of Sideline Medical Emergencies.

    Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons · Sep 01 2024 · PubMed

    Sideline sports medicine providers must prepare with preseason protocols and recognize both musculoskeletal and life-threatening cardiopulmonary emergencies for athlete safety.

  6. Supervised machine learning and associated algorithms: applications in orthopedic surgery.

    Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy · Apr 2023 · PubMed

    Supervised machine learning techniques ranging from regression to tree boosting are increasingly used in orthopedic surgery; physicians need better understanding of model strengths and limitations.

  7. Elbow Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries in Throwing Athletes: Diagnosis and Management.

    Journal of Hand Surgery (American) · Mar 2022 · PubMed

    UCL injuries in overhead throwing athletes can be managed nonoperatively for partial tears or selected complete injuries; UCL repair has reemerged as alternative to reconstruction with need for comparative outcome studies.

  8. The Mental Side of the Injured Athlete.

    Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons · Jun 15 2021 · PubMed

    This review highlights how psychological factors significantly influence recovery after orthopaedic surgery in injured athletes, arguing for interventions that address mental health alongside physical rehabilitation.

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