Oct 12–18, 2026 · 3 randomized trials, 28 new studies, 10 reviews · Sports Medicine archive · All weeks
The new Sports Medicine research The Reduction sent the week of Oct 12–18, 2026, with the week’s most recent reviews, each with a one-line summary.
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A 9-week in-season elastic band program improved knee extension strength, mainly in older female soccer players, with little effect on jump or change-of-direction speed, and strength gains faded after a 3-week break.
After ACL reconstruction, female athletes had about half the odds of returning to high-risk sports versus males (OR 0.47); knee confidence, stability, and earlier surgery predicted return in women.
In this small randomized trial of bicompartmental femoro-tibial arthritis, bi-unicompartmental arthroplasty gave no better 24-month patient-reported outcomes than cruciate-retaining TKA, with no major complications in either group.
In matched cohorts, patients 60 and older improved as much as those 40 and younger after hip arthroscopy for FAI, but reached lower absolute function and ADL acceptable-symptom rates; reoperations followed cartilage damage.
Three preoperative subacromial ACP injections were associated with modestly lower histologic degeneration scores in supraspinatus tendons at repair (54 patients), but the differences were small and clinical relevance is unclear.
After ACL reconstruction, return-to-sport rates were similar by sex at 5 years, but men more often regained preinjury activity level and had better Tegner, IKDC, and ACL-RSI scores.
One year after transphyseal ACLR near skeletal maturity, average alignment change was minimal, but 16-28% of patients had meaningful shifts, mostly toward valgus, supporting preoperative radiographs and surveillance until maturity.
About 8% of 149,024 Bankart repair patients visited the ED within 90 days, mostly early; smoking, Medicaid, depression and open (versus arthroscopic) repair were among the strongest independent predictors.
In 20 mostly skeletally immature athletes with acute groin pain and negative radiographs, MRI showed iliac subperiosteal hematoma, often with associated avulsion or iliacus injury; all healed nonoperatively and returned to sport in about 4.5 weeks.
On ankle CT review, the posterior-harvested congruent-arc distal tibial allograft consistently produced positive glenoid concavity and slope, whereas the traditional lateral graft produced negative values, suggesting better restoration of the glenoid contour.
A scoping review of three randomized trials suggests gait retraining (cadence, impact, foot strike changes) reduces pain, improves function, and lowers patellofemoral stress in runners with patellofemoral pain, with only transient calf discomfort.
In 124 patients after osteoperiosteal transplantation for cystic talar lesions, 81.5% were satisfied; FAOS best predicted satisfaction, while higher BMI and double plugs lowered odds of reaching the improvement threshold.
After superior capsule reconstruction with fascia lata autograft in 30 patients, Doppler ultrasound showed all grafts developed angiogenesis peaking around 6 months, unrelated to pain or function, suggesting normal graft healing rather than inflammation.
In 21 patients, aggressive MCL pie-crusting during medial meniscus root repair increased medial gapping only about 1.2 mm, well under the 3.2-mm instability threshold, so it appears safe.
In 23 patients after BPTB ACL reconstruction, shorter relative patellar defect length on 6-week MRI correlated with better 1-year KOOS scores, suggesting graft harvest should account for patellar size.
In 97 adolescents after patellar stabilization, an ACL-RSI score of 59.2 or higher predicted successful return to sport (78% overall), suggesting psychological readiness is a useful postoperative screening tool.
In this retrospective study of 135 patients, starting rehabilitation early after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair was associated with less 3-month stiffness and better scores, but the observational design cannot prove causality.
Lumbar Disc Changes on Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Asymptomatic Elite Male Soccer Players.
In 43 asymptomatic elite male soccer players, 43% had lumbar disc herniations on MRI, mostly central at L4-L5 and L5-S1, and herniation burden did not track with missed training.
Across 3,473 shoulder studies from 2015-2025, PROMIS use rose to only 5.5% and was usually paired with legacy scores, showing limited adoption as a primary outcome measure.
In 213 junior tennis players, dominant-arm humeral retrotorsion exceeded the nondominant side, with asymmetry appearing from age 10 and stabilizing near 10 degrees from age 13, likely reflecting altered growth-related derotation.
In 41 patients, arthroscopic bone-block stabilization with distal clavicle autograft gave significantly improved Oxford scores, 93% graft union, no donor-site morbidity, and 2.4% recurrent instability at mean 37 months.
At 10+ years after arthroscopic Bankart repair with remplissage in active-duty servicemembers, outcomes stayed improved, with 9% complications, 86% returning to duty, and 13.6% medically discharged.
Technical note describing combined ACL and anterolateral ligament reconstruction using hamstring autograft augmented with the BioBrace reinforced scaffold, for smaller patients whose hamstring grafts are too small or short.
In 175 patients with talar osteochondral lesions, about 21% had occult syndesmotic instability at arthroscopy, associated with BMI above 25.6, osteophytes, and Bassett's ligament hypertrophy; findings are exploratory and need validation.
Surgeons' advice on return to sports after lumbar disc surgery varies widely, and patients in a single-center cohort resumed sports later than recommended, highlighting the need for evidence-based guidelines.
Technique article describing recurrent patellar dislocation treatment by replacing the medial quadriceps tendon-femoral ligament with a medial patellar retinaculum cable, combined with MPFL reconstruction and medial tightening.
Insall-Salvati and Caton-Deschamps were the most reliable patellar height ratios on radiographs, Patellotrochlear Index on MRI, and neither skeletal immaturity nor patellofemoral instability degraded reliability.
From 2016 to 2022, hip arthroscopy in US hospital-based surgery centers rose in volume and cost, with femoroplasty and labral repair growing, labral debridement declining, and median charges climbing from about $32,700 to $45,800.
In a 99-player pilot survey of adolescent female soccer players, men's cleats and firm ground were each linked to roughly double the injury odds, warranting larger confirmatory studies.
TT-PCL distance was greater in patellar instability patients than controls at all axial levels, but values vary with dorsal condylar line placement; normalizing to tibial width reduces variability and discrimination is only modest.
A multilayer perceptron model predicted MRI-defined 6-month retear after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair well on random splits, but performance dropped sharply on temporal validation, so external validation is needed before clinical use.
A scoping review of seven early studies finds AI-based mapping and computer navigation feasible and accurate for real-time intraoperative cartilage assessment and grafting, but real-world clinical validation is still lacking.
Expert consensus says early knee extension, quadriceps recovery, and movement quality drive good outcomes after ACL reconstruction, with early and intermediate rehabilitation tailored to graft type and patient demographics (Level IV).
Consensus recommendations from the British Elbow & Shoulder Society for rehabilitation after arthroscopic anterior shoulder stabilization, including early movement limited to elevation up to 90° with neutral rotation, and noting evidence gaps.
Clinical features in rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy: A scoping review.
Scoping review of 50 studies finds rotator cuff calcific tendinopathy typically presents as acute, severe, nocturnal unilateral pain in women aged 30-60, often with diabetes or thyroid disorders, aiding early suspicion before imaging.
This scoping review of 145 studies found bioactive and bioinductive implants increasingly used in sports medicine, but the evidence is mostly small, level IV, and uncontrolled, so larger comparative long-term studies are needed.
This expert-opinion review surveys orthobiologics for elbow and upper extremity tendon, cartilage, and bone problems, noting PRP and autologous blood show positive outcomes for nonresponsive tendinopathy and cell therapies look promising.
Osteochondritis Dissecans Lesions of the Knee: Evidence-Based Treatment.
This review outlines evidence-based management of knee osteochondritis dissecans: nonoperative care for stable lesions with open physes, drilling after failure, and fixation or cartilage restoration for unstable lesions.
Protective Sport Bracing for Athletes With Mid-Season Shoulder Instability.
This review of functional bracing for in-season shoulder instability in athletes finds mixed, low-quality evidence with possible return-to-play benefit and minimal downside, making bracing a reasonable individual choice, especially in high-risk sports like football.
A Transplant or a Patch? A Review of the Biologic Integration of Meniscus Allograft Transplantation.
This review examines whether meniscus allografts truly integrate biologically, noting revascularization is shown only in animals, time-zero biomechanics are adequate with graft sizing within 10% and bone plug fixation, and fresh versus frozen type does not matter.
Tunnel Management in Revision Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Current Concepts.
Review of bone tunnel problems in revision ACL reconstruction (malposition, enlargement, hardware interference) offering an updated approach to evaluating and managing them, despite limited supporting literature.
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