Aug 24–30, 2026 · 30 new studies, 10 reviews · Sports Medicine archive · All weeks
The new Sports Medicine research The Reduction sent the week of Aug 24–30, 2026, with the week’s most recent reviews, each with a one-line summary.
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Compared to unrepaired medial meniscus root tears, root repair improves function and pain but still leaves residual varus thrust and reduced internal rotation during gait, risk factors for OA progression.
In a UK registry of over 3,500 hip arthroscopies, higher cumulative surgeon volume was linked to modestly better iHOT-12 improvement, though the difference fell below the clinically important threshold.
In elite Australian Football players, rectus femoris injuries involving the proximal free tendon or central aponeurosis (especially with disruption) and reinjuries predicted longer return-to-play times, though no factors predicted recurrence.
Cadaveric study found that adding one to three centralization sutures during medial meniscus root repair reduced extrusion and contact pressures at specific flexion angles, guiding optimal suture placement pending clinical validation.
The Effect of Stud Flexibility on Lower Limb Biomechanical Demands in Football-Specific Movements.
Biomechanical study found flexible football boot studs reduced loading rates and delayed peak ground reaction forces during cutting compared to rigid studs, improving comfort/stability without compromising performance—potentially relevant to ACL injury risk mitigation.
Extra-articular Hip Endoscopy: Current Indications, Evidence, and Techniques.
This review summarizes current indications, techniques, and outcomes for extra-articular hip endoscopy in treating conditions like trochanteric pain syndrome, iliopsoas tendinopathy, and gluteal/hamstring tears.
In healthy volunteers, second-digit flexor recruitment and neutral wrist position were essential for optimal grip-induced dynamic stabilization of the medial elbow, informing UCL injury prevention strategies.
In 46 patients, ulnar tunnel foveal TFCC repair reliably relieved pain and restored motion by 12 weeks, but full activity return took ~6 months with a nonlinear recovery and setbacks common in nearly half.
Losartan Is Not Associated With Decreased Postoperative Arthrofibrosis After Hip Arthroscopy.
In a large propensity-matched database study, postoperative losartan use was not associated with reduced adhesions, instability, or reoperation after hip arthroscopy.
Finite element modeling shows labral augmentation better restores native humeral head stability and normal capsule/cartilage stress than Bankart repair with or without remplissage in shoulders with subcritical glenoid bone loss.
Effects of Cognitive-Motor Demands and Baseline Function on ACL Injury-Related Landing Biomechanics.
In healthy athletes, increasing cognitive load during landing tasks—especially with unanticipated/peripheral-vision demands—worsened ACL-risk biomechanics like knee abduction, more than baseline cognitive function did.
Two years after unilateral Achilles tendon rupture, fatigue caused greater ankle power changes on the uninvolved side, suggesting rehabilitation should emphasize progressive loading of the involved limb to reduce compensatory overuse risk.
A new three-tier HBB classification for assessing hand-behind-back function after reverse shoulder arthroplasty showed near-perfect interobserver reliability, far outperforming the traditional vertebral-level method, and correlated with functional outcomes.
A retrospective case series shows the arthroscopic 'mooring' technique achieves excellent 2-year functional outcomes and near-universal bone union for large anterior glenoid rim fractures.
In a porcine model, 3D-printed polydopamine-polyurethane scaffolds promoted labral regeneration and chondroprotection, suggesting a potential option for irreparable acetabular labral tears.
Patients with advanced patellofemoral chondrosis had similar patient-reported outcomes after meniscus root repair but nearly 7-fold higher rates of conversion to knee arthroplasty.
At minimum 10-year follow-up, hip arthroscopy without capsular repair for stable FAIS showed 90.7% survivorship, though female sex, higher BMI, and Tönnis grade predicted worse outcomes.
Lab study shows ACL remnant fibroblasts mount strong inflammatory chemokine responses to IL-1β that TGF-β1 partially suppresses, suggesting a target to limit post-traumatic osteoarthritis after ACL injury.
MRI at 1 year after ACL reconstruction with hamstring autograft showed significantly slower graft remodeling in pediatric patients than adults, potentially explaining higher pediatric reinjury rates and supporting extended rehab before return to sport.
Adding stroboscopic visual disruption and cognitive dual-tasking to single-leg hop testing reduced hop height and success equally in ACLR and healthy controls, suggesting current RTS hop tests may not adequately stress surgical-limb deficits.
Role of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α in Regulating Muscle Degeneration After Rotator Cuff Tears.
In a mouse rotator cuff tear model, loss of HIF-1α in fibroadipogenic progenitor cells increased fibrosis and worsened muscle degeneration, identifying it as a potential therapeutic target.
At 7-year follow-up after multiligament knee injury surgery, over half of patients had persistent quadriceps or hamstring strength deficits, worse with bicruciate injuries.
In hyperlax elite swimmers with breathing-side shoulder pain, an 8-week periscapular and rotator cuff rebalancing program produced durable strength gains and an 87.8% reduction in pain at 2-year follow-up.
Oral Contraceptive Use Has Protective Effect Against Ankle Sprains in Women.
In a large national database study, oral contraceptive use was associated with significantly reduced odds of ankle sprain in women, with nonestrogen formulations showing the strongest protective effect.
After medial opening-wedge HTO, absolute knee extensor strength (threshold 1.3 N·m/kg)—not limb symmetry index—best predicted satisfactory IKDC outcomes, supporting strength-based rehab targets.
In a German football ACL registry of 742 injuries, defenders and midfielders had the highest injury rates while forwards (and possibly goalkeepers) faced the greatest risk of dropping competitive level afterward, suggesting position-specific prevention and rehab strategies.
In 443 pediatric ACLR patients, non-white race, public insurance, and lower neighborhood opportunity independently predicted longer postpresentation surgical delay, which itself increased risk of high-grade cartilage injury.
Dual-fluoroscopy study finds Bankart repair augmented with dynamic anterior stabilization restores glenohumeral kinematics closer to normal than isolated Bankart repair in shoulder instability with minimal bone loss.
Cadaveric biomechanical testing showed Krackow and Mason-Allen sutures nearly doubled failure load versus simple sutures in endoscopic proximal hamstring repair, with horizontal mattress offering comparable strength as a portal-friendly alternative.
In 250 patients with talar osteochondral lesions, apparent sex differences in lesion size were explained by patient height rather than sex itself, though females had higher odds of crater-type lesion morphology.
Rotator Cuff Repair Augmentation.
This review outlines current graft options (allograft, xenograft, synthetic) and placement techniques used to augment rotator cuff repairs and reduce retear risk.
This commentary proposes a 'form follows function' framework linking labral anatomy to glenohumeral mechanics to better explain and treat labral injuries in overhead throwing athletes.
Tuberosity Management in Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty for Proximal Humerus Fractures.
This review discusses indications, implant choices, and techniques for tuberosity management during reverse shoulder arthroplasty for proximal humerus fractures to optimize functional outcomes.
Metabolic Functions of the Subacromial Bursa: Implications for Shoulder Health and Pathology.
This narrative review highlights the subacromial bursa's active metabolic and immune signaling roles, suggesting new therapeutic targets for impingement, bursitis, cuff tears, and shoulder OA.
This ESSKA-ORBIT consensus recommends cell-based orthobiologic therapy as a second-line injectable for knee osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence 1-3, with some benefit in Grade 4) after other nonoperative treatments fail.
International Delphi consensus confirms adding lateral extra-articular procedures to ACL reconstruction is safe, doesn't raise osteoarthritis risk, and outlines key technical principles (e.g., ITB graft deep to LCL, anatomic ALL femoral fixation) without one technique proving superior.
This scoping review of 155 studies found most knee PRP research originates from Asia, focuses on injection for osteoarthritis, reports outcome improvements, but often lacks standardized PRP classification or MCID reporting.
Cannabis Use in Adolescent and Young Adult Athletes: A Clinical Review.
This review finds cannabis use is common among young athletes and evidence shows it impairs athletic performance while harming cardiovascular, GI, and mental health.
European expert consensus provides detailed surgical, hinge-position, and rehabilitation guidance for tibial/femoral osteotomy in varus knees, including early weight-bearing and 6-month return to sport.
This ESSKA consensus concludes that indications for osteotomy in degenerative varus knees are broader than traditionally taught, requiring rigorous radiographic deformity analysis and individualized surgical planning.
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