Aug 17–23, 2026 · 24 new studies, 10 reviews · Sports Medicine archive · All weeks
The new Sports Medicine research The Reduction sent the week of Aug 17–23, 2026, with the week’s most recent reviews, each with a one-line summary.
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FDA adverse event data show all-inside meniscal repair device failures vary by design—all-suture anchors fracture most, capsular-knot anchors have compatibility issues, and meniscal-knot anchors fail during deployment.
Using a positive ultrasound-guided AIIS injection (rather than CT morphology alone) to select patients for arthroscopic subspine decompression led to significantly better 2-year outcomes and higher PASS/SCB rates.
This meta-analysis shows intra-articular PRP outperforms placebo for knee OA pain/function at 6-12 months, but evidence certainty is very low and optimal PRP formulation remains unclear.
In 42 competitive soccer players undergoing ACLR, partial-thickness quadriceps tendon grafts achieved faster quadriceps strength symmetry in the first 6 months than full-thickness grafts, though outcomes equalized by 12 months.
MRI detected meniscal ramp lesions far more often (43%) than arthroscopy confirmed (10%) in ACL-injured knees, with stable Greif type 1/2 lesions rarely verified surgically, though posteromedial bone bruising correlated with true lesions.
Cadaveric analysis shows acetabular labral height increases posterior>superior>anterior and is roughly 1mm larger in males across all regions, suggesting sex- and region-specific graft sizing for labral reconstruction.
In youth soccer players, isometric priming boosted horizontal force production and some change-of-direction performance but slightly worsened velocity-oriented sprint mechanics.
Peptide Supplements and Their Therapeutic Applications in Sports Medicine.
A scoping review finds popular musculoskeletal peptide supplements (BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295, MK-677, ipamorelin, GHK-Cu) lack robust human efficacy/safety data and carry risks like cardiovascular and metabolic complications, so they shouldn't replace standard orthopaedic care.
In ACL reconstruction patients with high internal rotational tibial subluxation, adding suture tape augmentation to hamstring autografts improved clinical outcomes, increased return-to-sport rates, and eliminated graft failures compared to no augmentation.
This meta-analysis of 2730 hips found arthroscopic labral repair, versus debridement, reduced conversion to THA and improved long-term pain control, with functional benefits most evident in RCT data.
In a 15-year survival analysis, meniscal allograft transplantation had 84% survival at 10 years declining to 52% at 25 years, with female sex emerging as an independent risk factor for graft failure after adjustment.
In a French registry of 449 ACL reconstructions with ramp lesions, the Thaunat classification correlated with meniscal mobility and number of sutures used, supporting a lesion-specific repair approach, predominantly via posteromedial hook technique.
Quantitative MRI mapping of 82 ACL surgery patients showed persistent regional differences in meniscal cross-sectional area and signal intensity versus the contralateral knee that did not normalize even 2 years postoperatively.
A meta-analysis of RCTs found autologous adipose-derived stem cell injections improve pain and WOMAC scores in knee OA without significantly increasing adverse events, though product heterogeneity limits firm conclusions.
Adding all-inside lateral meniscus posterior root repair to ACL reconstruction did not worsen graft survival or clinical outcomes compared to isolated ACLR, supporting concurrent repair when indicated.
Machine learning identified four distinct recovery phenotypes after hip arthroscopy, with 27% showing dissociation between daily function and sports performance predictable from age, activity level, and cartilage damage.
This systematic review finds deep learning models show promise for predicting knee OA progression from imaging but suffer from inconsistent outcome definitions, limited external validation, and performance drop-off outside training datasets, limiting current clinical readiness.
In 1339 military academy cadets/midshipmen, those reporting <6 hours of sleep at initial concussion evaluation took 19% longer to reach unrestricted return to activity than those sleeping 7-8 hours.
When subscapularis management is standardized via lesser tuberosity osteotomy, anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty still provides superior internal/external rotation and function compared to reverse shoulder arthroplasty for cuff-intact arthritis.
Computational modeling shows that incorporating the infraspinatus into remplissage improves anterior stability but progressively reduces external rotation and abduction moment arms with medial advancement, so surgeons should weigh this tradeoff.
Analysis of the UK ACL registry found KOOS5, KOOS4, and KOOS-ACL subscales show substantial ceiling effects by 12 months post-reconstruction, while the newer KOOSglobal score better discriminates high-functioning patients over time.
In MRI studies of 190 knees, two-image patellar height measurements were lower than one-image ones, and one-image Caton-Deschamps ratio correlated with trochlear dysplasia, suggesting it may overestimate patella alta.
In 249 patients undergoing arthroscopic ACL primary repair, greater medial and lateral posterior tibial slope (and younger age) independently predicted repair failure at 2-5 years, useful for patient selection counseling.
New reactive neurocognitive variations of an upper extremity closed-chain functional test show moderate-to-good reliability, suggesting potential to improve return-to-sport testing though further validation is needed.
This review argues that young age is a confounded, non-causal marker for ACL injury/reinjury risk, and clinicians should instead assess joint hypermobility, bone morphology, muscle strength imbalances, and genetics for individualized risk stratification.
Medial Meniscal Ramp Lesions: Current Concepts in Diagnosis and Treatment.
Ramp lesions, present in up to 40% of ACL injuries, require systematic posteromedial arthroscopic evaluation and repair when unstable, yielding excellent outcomes and >80% return-to-sport rates.
Reviews current concepts in acute midsubstance patellar tendon rupture repair, favoring Krackow suturing with protective augmentation and staged rehabilitation over 9-18 months for return to function.
Distal Hamstring Injuries and Disorders.
This review covers acute and chronic distal hamstring injuries (e.g., pes anserinus bursitis, snapping tendons, biceps femoris and semitendinosus ruptures), noting most are managed nonoperatively but avulsions and refractory cases may need surgery.
Delaminated Rotator Cuff Tears.
This JBJS review covers delaminated rotator cuff tears—their layered tendon pathogenesis, imaging-based diagnosis (including elastography), and individualized management, noting dual-layer repair may offer better pain and functional outcomes than en masse repair.
In this ICRS-FIFA-Aspetar expert consensus, surgery for knee cartilage lesions in football players was deemed appropriate in only about one-third of clinical scenarios, driven mainly by symptom severity, lesion size, location, and player priorities.
Review finds closed reduction suits most acute anterior SCJ dislocations, but recurrent/symptomatic cases need individualized surgery (suture/internal brace, tendon autograft, or plating) based on activity and bone quality.
An international Delphi panel reached consensus on indications for nonoperative treatment and labral repair in posterior shoulder instability, along with technical steps to reduce recurrence, though several imaging and technique questions remain unresolved.
This review covers evaluation and treatment of anterior shoulder instability, emphasizing that surgical stabilization (Bankart repair, remplissage, or Latarjet based on bone loss) is favored in young, high-risk patients over nonoperative care.
This narrative review examines the scant evidence on renal injury risk in contact sports and offers sport-specific guidance for children with a solitary functioning kidney, finding overall risk is low and exclusion often unwarranted.
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