Review Finds Increased Osteoarthritis Risk in Tactical Athletes

“Any strategy to try and reduce joint injuries in the first place would probably go a long way toward reducing the risk of osteoarthritis subsequent to those injuries,” Dr. Cameron says. “Primary prevention is the best prevention.”

Future research should look at secondary prevention measures to help slow the development of OA in individuals who have already injured their joints, he added. And physicians who treat tactical athletes with OA should be familiar with evidence-based recommendations for managing OA, which are not implemented consistently in clinical practice, Dr. Cameron notes.

Reference

Cameron KL, Driban JB, Svoboda SJ. Osteoarthritis and the tactical athlete: A systematic review. J Athl Train. 2016 Nov:51(11):952–961. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-51.5.03. Epub 2016 Apr 26.

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