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OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated single intra-articular injections of Hymovis MO.RE., a hyaluronic acid hexadecyl derivative (HYADD4-G), to manage post-traumatic or degenerative knee or ankle chondropathy in professional soccer players. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-five players affected by knee (n = 12) or ankle (n = 13) chondropathy were prospectively enrolled and treated by two single Hymovis MO.RE. (32 mg/4 ml) injections at the beginning of the football season (V0, baseline) and at mid-season (V1, 19-20 weeks thereafter), and were followed-up until the end of the season (V2, after further 19-20 weeks). Knee cases were evaluated using the 2000 IKDC knee subjective examination form and the modified Lysholm scoring system. Ankle cases were evaluated using the American Orthopaedic Foot Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score. Patients were also evaluated using a VAS Likert scale and a four-category scale recording both the patient's and the doctor's assessment on joint mobility in degrees and overall treatment efficacy. Adverse events, patient withdrawals and local reaction to injections were also assessed. RESULTS: In knee patients, the 2000 IKDC subjective score improved from 46.8 ± 11.4 at V0 to 83.1 ± 12.5 at V2. Their modified Lysholm score improved from 58.8 ± 8.9 at V0 to 90.6 ± 8.3 at V2. In the ankle patients, the AOFAS score improved from 52.2 ± 5.6 at V0 to 96.4 ± 4.5 at V2. VAS Likert values and subjective evaluations improved at V1 and were maintained at V2. No side effects were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: A single Hymovis MO.RE. (32 mg/4 ml) intra-articular injection, repeated after 19-20 weeks, may be a viable option to improve symptoms and function in professional soccer players suffering from knee and ankle chondropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Ortopédica Mexicana is the property of Sociedad Mexicana de Ortopedia, AC and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Ortopédica Mexicana is the property of Sociedad Mexicana de Ortopedia, AC and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Ortopédica Mexicana is the property of Sociedad Mexicana de Ortopedia, AC and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Soccer is the most commonly played sport in the world, with an estimated 265 million active soccer players participating in the game as on 2006. Inherent to this sport is the higher risk of injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) relative to other sports. ACL injury causes a significant loss of time from competition in soccer, which has served as the strong impetus to conduct research that focuses to determine the risk factors for injury, and more importantly, to identify and teach techniques to reduce this injury in the sport. This research emphasis has afforded a rapid influx of literature aimed to report the effects of neuromuscular training on the risk factors and the incidence of non-contact ACL injury in high-risk soccer populations. The purpose of the current review is to sequence the most recent literature relating the effects of prevention programs that were developed to alter risk factors associated with non-contact ACL injuries and to reduce the rate of non-contact ACL injuries in soccer players. To date there is no standardized intervention program established for soccer to prevent non-contact ACL injuries. Multi-component programs show better results than single-component preventive programs to reduce the risk and incidence of non-contact ACL injuries in soccer players. Lower extremity plyometrics, dynamic balance and strength, stretching, body awareness and decision-making, and targeted core and trunk control appear to be successful training components to reduce non-contact ACL injury risk factors (decrease landing forces, decrease varus/valgus moments, and increase effective muscle activation) and prevent non-contact ACL injuries in soccer players, especially in female athletes. Pre-season injury prevention combined with an in-season maintenance program may be advocated to prevent injury. Compliance may in fact be the limiting factor to the overall success of ACL injury interventions targeted to soccer players regardless of gender. Thus, interventional research must also consider techniques to improve compliance especially at the elite levels which will likely influence trickle down effects to sub-elite levels. Future research is also needed for male soccer athletes to help determine the most effective intervention to reduce the non-contact ACL injury risk factors and to prevent non-contact ACL injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soccer is the most commonly played sport in the world, with an estimated 265 million active soccer players by 2006. Inherent to this sport is the higher risk of injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) relative to other sports. ACL injury causes the most time lost from competition in soccer which has influenced a strong research focus to determine the risk factors for injury. This research emphasis has afforded a rapid influx of literature defining potential modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors that increase the risk of injury. The purpose of the current review is to sequence the most recent literature that reports potential mechanisms and risk factors for non-contact ACL injury in soccer players. Most ACL tears in soccer players are non-contact in nature. Common playing situations precluding a non-contact ACL injury include: change of direction or cutting maneuvers combined with deceleration, landing from a jump in or near full extension, and pivoting with knee near full extension and a planted foot. The most common non-contact ACL injury mechanism include a deceleration task with high knee internal extension torque (with or without perturbation) combined with dynamic valgus rotation with the body weight shifted over the injured leg and the plantar surface of the foot fixed flat on the playing surface. Potential extrinsic non-contact ACL injury risk factors include: dry weather and surface, and artificial surface instead of natural grass. Commonly purported intrinsic risk factors include: generalized and specific knee joint laxity, small and narrow intercondylar notch width (ratio of notch width to the diameter and cross sectional area of the ACL), pre-ovulatory phase of menstrual cycle in females not using oral contraceptives, decreased relative (to quadriceps) hamstring strength and recruitment, muscular fatigue by altering neuromuscular control, decreased "core" strength and proprioception, low trunk, hip, and knee flexion angles, and high dorsiflexion of the ankle when performing sport tasks, lateral trunk displacement and hip adduction combined with increased knee abduction moments (dynamic knee valgus), and increased hip internal rotation and tibial external rotation with or without foot pronation. The identified mechanisms and risk factors for non-contact ACL injuries have been mainly studied in female soccer players; thus, further research in male players is warranted. Non-contact ACL injuries in soccer players likely has a multi-factorial etiology. The identification of those athletes at increased risk may be a salient first step before designing and implementing specific pre-season and in-season training programs aimed to modify the identified risk factors and to decrease ACL injury rates. Current evidence indicates that this crucial step to prevent ACL injury is the only option to effectively prevent the sequelae of osteoarthritis associated with this traumatic injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: chronic exercise-related groin pain is a debilitating condition for athletes. Non-operative treatment has limited efficacy. We report the outcome of adductor tenotomy and hernioplasty for professional soccer players with groin pain. Methods: two groups of soccer players with persistent groin pain, with or without additional lower abdominal pain and resistance to conservative treatment were included in this retrospective analysis. Both were treated with adductor tenotomy, while in the second group, hernioplasty was added. RTP time, subjective and objective outcome measures were compared. Results: 155 professional and recreational soccer players with recalcitrant groin pain were treated. 96 patients (group 1) were treated with adductor tenotomy and additional 59 (group 2) were treated with a combination of adductor tenotomy and hernioplasty. No difference in pre- or post-operative parameters was detected between groups, apart from abdominal wall muscle defects demonstrated by ultrasound in group 2. Mean duration of pre-op symptoms was 5 months. All patients were males. Mean age was 23 years (16-36) and mean pre-op Tegner score was 8.2. Mean RTP was 11 weeks (Range 4-36). Post-op Tegner score remained 8.2. Subjective outcome was rated as 4.3 out of 5. The combined score indicated 80% of good or excellent results for both groups. Conclusions: surgical intervention has been shown to allow RTP at the same standard in professional soccer players following the failure of non-operative treatments. Athletes with an adductor syndrome and accompanying sportsman hernia might benefit from adductor tenotomy only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knee cartilage lesions are frequent in football players, but evidence for surgical treatment is lacking. The aim of this International Cartilage Regeneration & Joint Preservation Society, Fédération Internationale de Football Association, and Aspetar (ICRS-FIFA-Aspetar) consensus was to develop specific expert-based, patient-specific practical recommendations on the appropriateness of non-surgical or surgical treatments for symptomatic knee cartilage lesions in competitive football players. The RAND/UCLA appropriateness method was used, and 17 voting experts provided recommendations on the appropriateness of surgical treatment in 96 different clinical scenarios defined on 6 variables: cartilage injury onset, lesion location, defect size, bone involvement, player symptom level and preference towards higher priority of a quick return to play or long-term results. Surgical treatment of a cartilage lesion was considered appropriate in 32% of the scenarios, in 21% inappropriate, while in 47% of the scenarios, the appropriateness was considered uncertain. The parameters with the highest appropriateness for the surgical treatment of a cartilage lesion in a football player were the inability to play (75.0% of appropriate scenarios), a lesion sized 2 cm 2 or bigger (47.9% of appropriate scenarios) and the preference of the player for long-term results (41.7% of appropriate scenarios). In this ICRS-FIFA-Aspetar expert consensus, surgical treatment for cartilage injuries in competitive football players was considered appropriate only in one-third of the clinical scenarios, and the choice was mainly driven by the level of symptoms. Surgical preference was also influenced by larger lesions, lesions of the condyles and trochlea with subchondral bone involvement and player's preference towards long-term results., Competing Interests: Competing interests: EK reports consulting for Cartiheal, Green Bone, Geistlich and Bioveex, and speaking for Zimmer Biomet and Fidia Farmaceutici SPA. EP: General Board member ICRS, Editorial board JCJP, Advisory board Askel Healthcare, Lectures fees S&N, Lecture fees ConMedAS and AM declare full time employment by FIFA. PV: Royalties Conmed; Consultant Conmed, Adler, Geistlich, Symbios. PA: professorship: aesculap/tetec; consultant: aesculap, Arthrex; fifa: director fifa excellence centre regensburg. CF: Product Royalties and consulting agreement: Medacta, Karl Storz. CAL: Advisory Board: Vericel; Consultant: Smith and Nephew, Johnson and Johnson, Moximed. NN: Editorial Board, AJSM, JISAKOS, Cartilage, J Exp Orthop, J Orthops Sci; Institutional Research Support, Cell Source; Research Grant, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science DAP: editorial board of AJSM, JISAKOS, AP-SMART Journal, OJSM; hold shares in Peronalised Surgery, Ganymed Robotics; received royalties from Nil; done consulting work for Smith & Nephew; received institutional support from Smith & Nephew, Simmer, Corin, Arthrex. BS-C has received consulting fees and royalties from Arthrex. WvdM: Editorial board JISAKOS; Shareholder GRUCOX medical; Consultant S&N. AMW is on the editorial Board Member American Journal of Sports Medicine, is Share holder Innovate Orthopaedics, and share holder DocComs. SZ: consultant surgeon for Smith and Nephew and DePuy Synthes. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Purpose: The aim of this consensus was to develop evidence- and expert-based patient-focused recommendations on the appropriateness of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in different clinical scenarios of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA)., Methods: The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method was used by the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery, and Arthroscopy (ESSKA), as well as the International Cartilage Regeneration and Joint Preservation Society (ICRS) to reach a consensus and produce recommendations for specific patient categories combining best available scientific evidence with the collective judgement of a panel of experts., Results: Scenarios were defined based on first treatment vs first injective treatment vs second injective treatment, age (<50/50-65/66-80/>80), tibiofemoral vs patellofemoral involvement, OA level (Kellgren-Lawrence/KL 0-I/II-III/IV), and joint effusion (dry knee, minor-mild or major effusion). Out of 216 scenarios, in 84 (38.9%) the indication was considered appropriate, in 9 (4.2%) inappropriate and in 123 (56.9%) uncertain. The parameters associated with the highest consensus were PRP use after failed injective treatments (62.5%), followed by PRP after failed conservative treatments and KL 0-III scenarios (58.3%), while the highest uncertainty was found for PRP use as first treatment and KL IV OA (91.7% and 87.5% of uncertain scenarios, respectively)., Conclusion: This ESSKA-ICRS consensus established recommendations on the appropriateness or inappropriateness of PRP injections for the treatment of knee OA, providing a useful reference for clinical practice. PRP injections are considered appropriate in patients aged ≤80 years with knee KL 0-III OA grade after failed conservative non-injective or injective treatments, while they are not considered appropriate as first treatment nor in KL IV OA grade., Level of Evidence: Level I., (© 2024 The Author(s). Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy.)

Purpose: The aim of this European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA) consensus is to provide recommendations based on evidence and expert opinion to improve indications, decision-making and administration-related aspects when using blood-derived orthobiologics (for simplicity indicated as PRP-platelet-rich plasma-with PRP being the most common product) for the management of knee osteoarthritis (OA)., Methods: Leading European expert clinicians and scientists were divided into a steering group, a rating group and a peer review group. The steering group prepared 28 question-statement sets divided into three sections: PRP rationale and indications, PRP preparation and characterisation and PRP protocol. The quality of the statements received grades of recommendation ranging from A (high-level scientific support) to B (scientific presumption), C (low-level scientific support) or D (expert opinion). The question-statement sets were then evaluated by the rating group, and the statements scored from 1 to 9 based on their degree of agreement with the statements produced by the steering group. Once a general consensus was reached between the steering and rating groups, the document was submitted to the peer review group who evaluated the geographic adaptability and approved the document. A final combined meeting of all the members of the consensus was held to produce the official document., Results: The literature review on the use of blood-derived products for knee OA revealed that 9 of 28 questions/statements had the support of high-level scientific literature, while the other 19 were supported by a medium-low scientific quality. Three of the 28 recommendations were grade A recommendations: (1) There is enough preclinical and clinical evidence to support the use of PRP in knee OA. This recommendation was considered appropriate with a strong agreement (mean: 8). (2) Clinical evidence has shown the effectiveness of PRP in patients for mild to moderate degrees of knee OA (KL ≤ 3). This recommendation was considered appropriate with a strong agreement (mean: 8.1). (3) PRP injections have been shown to provide a longer effect in comparison to the short-term effect of CS injections. They also seem to provide a safer use profile with less potential related complications. This recommendation was considered appropriate with a very strong agreement (mean: 8.7). Six statements were grade B recommendations, 7 were grade C and 12 were grade D. The mean rating score was 8.2 ± 0.3., Conclusions: The consensus group reached a high level of agreement on all the questions/statements despite the lack of clear evidence for some questions. According to the results from this consensus group, given the large body of existing literature and expert opinions, PRP was regarded as a valid treatment option for knee OA and as a possible first-line injectable treatment option for nonoperative management of knee OA, mainly for KL grades 1-3., Level of Evidence: Level II., (© 2024 The Authors. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy.)

Over the past decades, the development of nanoparticles (NPs) to increase the efficiency of clinical treatments has been subject of intense research. Yet, most NPs have been reported to possess low efficacy as their actuation is hindered by biological barriers. For instance, synovial fluid (SF) present in the joints is mainly composed of hyaluronic acid (HA). These viscous media pose a challenge for many applications in nanomedicine, as passive NPs tend to become trapped in complex networks, which reduces their ability to reach the target location. This problem can be addressed by using active NPs (nanomotors, NMs) that are self-propelled by enzymatic reactions, although the development of enzyme-powered NMs, capable of navigating these viscous environments, remains a considerable challenge. Here, the synergistic effects of two NMs troops, namely hyaluronidase NMs (HyaNMs, Troop 1) and urease NMs (UrNMs, Troop 2) are demonstrated. Troop 1 interacts with the SF by reducing its viscosity, thus allowing Troop 2 to swim more easily through the SF. Through their collective motion, Troop 2 increases the diffusion of macromolecules. These results pave the way for more widespread use of enzyme-powered NMs, e.g., for treating joint injuries and improving therapeutic effectiveness compared with traditional methods., (© 2024 The Authors. Small published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: To compare the clinical, radiologic, and functional outcomes between shockwave and operative treatments for proximal fifth metatarsal stress fractures in soccer players in a pilot study., Methods: Between 2017 and 2019, 18 soccer players with fifth metatarsal stress fractures attended at Mutualidad de Futbolistas Españoles-Delegación Catalana were included. Patients were randomly assigned into 2 groups receiving either surgery with an intramedullary screw (group 1) or high-energy focused extracorporeal shockwave treatment (group 2 performed once a week for 3 weeks using 2000 impulses at an energy flux density of 0.21 mJ/mm 2 and 4 Hz frequency). Clinical (pain), radiologic (bone healing), and functional (Tegner Activity Scale and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society [AOFAS] ankle-hindfoot scales) outcomes before and after receiving the treatment were compared between both groups. In addition, ability and time to return to play was also compared between groups., Results: No patients were lost to follow-up. There were no statistically significant differences at last follow-up between surgery and extracorporeal shockwave treatment for bone healing, pain relief, AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score, Tegner score, and time return to play. No complications were reported in either of the 2 groups., Conclusion: In this pilot study, extracorporeal shockwave treatment and operative treatment were found to be equally effective at reducing pain, achieving bone healing, and allowing the soccer players to return to play after proximal fifth metatarsal stress fractures. This study suggests that ESWT may be a good option for the management of proximal fifth metatarsal stress fractures in soccer players. If this approach proves successful in larger trials, the shockwave approach might help avoid known complications of the surgical treatment like wound problems, nerve injury, and hardware intolerance. Further investigations with larger sample size should be conducted in order to confirm the present conclusions., Level of Evidence: Level II, therapeutic, pilot randomized controlled trial., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. ICMJE forms for all authors are available online.

This study performs an analysis that will enable the evaluation of the quality, durability, and structure of repaired cartilaginous extracellular matrix tissue using an autologous-based particulated autograft cartilage and platelet-rich plasma treatment (PACI + PRP). A single-blind controlled experiment was conducted on 28 sheep to evaluate the efficacy of the PACI + PRP treatment for cartilage defects. Full-thickness 8 mm diameter defects were created in the weight-bearing area of both knees. The right knees received PACI + PRP. The left knees were treated with Ringer's lactate solution (RLS) or hyaluronic acid (HA) injections. Sheep were euthanized at 9- or 18-months post-surgery. An extensive immunohistochemical analysis was performed to assess collagen types (I, II, III, V, VI, IX, X, XI) and aggrecan positivity. A semiquantitative scoring system provided a detailed evaluation of immunostaining. Collagens and aggrecan scores in the PACI + PRP groups were similar to healthy cartilage. Significant differences were found in collagens associated with matrix maturity (II and V), degradation (IX), structure and mechanics (VI), and hypertrophy (X) between healthy cartilage and RLS- or HA-repaired cartilage. The PACI + PRP treatment advanced the repair cartilage process in chondral defects with mature hyaline cartilage and enhanced the structural and mechanical qualities with better consistent cartilage, less susceptible to degradation and without hypertrophic formation over time.

The treatment of chondral and osteochondral defects is challenging. These types of lesions are painful and progress to osteoarthritis over time. Tissue engineering offers tools to address this unmet medical need. The use of an autologous cartilage construct consisting of hyaline cartilage chips embedded in plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) has been proposed as a therapeutic alternative. The purpose of this study was to dig into the potential mechanisms behind the in vitro remodelling process that might explain the clinical success of this technique and facilitate its optimisation. Chondrocyte viability and cellular behaviour over eight weeks of in vitro culture, type II collagen synthesis, the dual delivery of growth factors by hyaline cartilage and PRGF matrix, and the ultrastructure of the construct and its remodelling were characterised. The main finding of this research is that the cartilage fragments embedded in the three-dimensional PRGF scaffold contain viable chondrocytes that are able to migrate into the fibrin network, proliferate and synthesise extracellular matrix after the second week of in vitro culture. The characterization of this three-dimensional matrix is key to unravelling the molecular kinetics responsible for its efficacy.

Purpose: Hip arthroscopy is a growing technique in the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), but can sometimes lead to unsatisfactory results such as the early conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA). The purpose of this study is to describe a new tool for assessing the preoperative risk of THA conversion after hip arthroscopy in patients with FAI., Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort of 584 patients with FAI who underwent hip arthroscopy at a single centre with a minimum 2 years follow-up. The preoperative variables of these patients were analysed to calculate the risk of each variable for THA. By selecting variables with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve greater than 0.7, a calculator was created to provide a risk index for each patient., Results: Four variables (age, body mass index, Tönnis score and ALAD) were associated with an increased risk of THA conversion. The optimal cut-off points for each variable were determined, and a risk index was created. The Hip-Arthroplasty-Risk Index (HAR-Index) is a 0-4 points scale obtained from four binary scores of 0 or 1 depending on whether the cut-off point for each variable was reached or not. The increased risk of THA for each HAR-Index value was 1.1%, 6.2%, 17.9%, 55.1% and 79.3% respectively. The HAR-Index showed a very good predictive capacity with an area under the ROC curve of 0.89., Conclusion: The HAR-Index is a simple and practical tool for practitioners to make more informed decisions about performing hip arthroscopy in patients with FAI. With a very good predictive capacity, the HAR-Index can help to reduce the rate of conversion to THA., Level of Evidence: Level III., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery, Arthroscopy (ESSKA).)

Purpose: Articular cartilage is vulnerable to multiple types of damage and it has limited reparative and regenerative capacities due to its absence of vascularity. Although a large number of therapeutic strategies exist to treat chondral defects, they have some limitations, such as fibrocartilage formation. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to evaluate the chondrogenic regenerative properties of an autologous-made matrix of particulated cartilage and platelet-rich plasma (PACI + PRP) implantation for the treatment of full-thickness chondral defects in sheep., Methods: A full-thickness 8 mm diameter cartilage defect was created in the weight-bearing area of the medial femoral condyle in both knees of 16 sheep. The right knees of all animals were treated with particulated autograft cartilage implantation and platelet-rich plasma, while the left knees were injected with Ringer's lactate solution or hyaluronic acid. The sheep were killed 9 or 18 months after surgery. Macroscopic evaluations were performed using three different scoring systems, and histopathological evaluations were performed using a modified scoring system based on different scoring systems., Results: The PACI + PRP groups showed statistically significant differences in the percentage of defect repair and chondrocytes in the newly formed cartilage tissue at 18 months compared to 9 months., Conclusions: The results suggest that macroscopic appearance, histological structure and chondrocyte repair were improved when using PACI + PRP treatment for chondral defects, producing an outcome similar to the surrounding healthy cartilage. PACI + PRP is a totally autologous, easy, and unexpensive treatment that can be performed in one-step procedure and is useful as a therapeutic option for knee chondral defects., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Proteoglycans are vital components of the extracellular matrix in articular cartilage, providing biomechanical properties crucial for its proper functioning. They are key players in chondral diseases, specifically in the degradation of the extracellular matrix. Evaluating proteoglycan molecules can serve as a biomarker for joint degradation in osteoarthritis patients, as well as assessing the quality of repaired tissue following different treatment strategies for chondral injuries. Despite ongoing research, understanding osteoarthritis and cartilage repair remains unclear, making the identification of key molecules essential for early diagnosis and effective treatment. This review offers an overview of proteoglycans as primary molecules in articular cartilage. It describes the various types of proteoglycans present in both healthy and damaged cartilage, highlighting their roles. Additionally, the review emphasizes the importance of assessing proteoglycans to evaluate the quality of repaired articular tissue. It concludes by providing a visual and narrative description of aggrecan distribution and presence in healthy cartilage. Proteoglycans, such as aggrecan, biglycan, decorin, perlecan, and versican, significantly contribute to maintaining the health of articular cartilage and the cartilage repair process. Therefore, studying these proteoglycans is vital for early diagnosis, evaluating the quality of repaired cartilage, and assessing treatment effectiveness.