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Definition and classification of early osteoarthritis of the knee

  • Knee
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Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

With the emerging interest in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, new treatment modalities being developed for joint disorders including joint surface lesions and articular cartilage defects. The clinical outcome of these novel approaches appears rather unpredictable and is due to many reasons but definitely also linked to the patient profile. As a typical example, symptomatic articular cartilage lesions can be presented in an otherwise normal joint, or associated with several other joint tissue alterations including meniscal lesions and abnormalities of the underlying bone. The outcome of novel treatments may well be influenced by the status of the whole joint, and the potential to develop osteoarthritis. To better identify the patients at risk and responders to certain treatments, it is of use to define and most importantly classify patients with “early osteoarthritis”. Here, classification criteria for this group of patients are presented, allowing a more defined and accurate inclusion in clinical trials in the future.

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Acknowledgments

We want to acknowledge all the participants to the ESSKA Cartilage Committee Consensus Meeting “Early Degenerative Arthritis of the Knee: Biological solutions”, organized by Dr. Elizaveta Kon and Prof. Maurilio Marcacci (10th–11th March 2011, Bologna, Italy): Fredrik Almqvist, Laura De Girolamo, Stefano Della Villa Matej Drobnic, Joao Espregueira-Mendes, Andrea Facchini, Andreas Gomoll, Mislav Jelic, Henning Madry, Maurilio Marcacci, Joan Monllau, Giancarlo Puddu, William G. Rodkey, Niek van Dijk, Rene Verdonk, Stefano Zaffagnini.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology, Laboratory for Skeletal Development and Joint Disorders, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, O&N 1, Herestraat 49, Bus 813, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Frank P. Luyten

  2. Knee Surgery and Sports Traumatology, IRCCS Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Via Manzoni 56, Rozzano, Milan, Italy

    Matteo Denti

  3. Biomechanics Laboratory, III Clinic, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Via di Barbiano 1/10, 40136, Bologna, Italy

    Giuseppe Filardo & Elizaveta Kon

  4. Department of Sports Medicine, Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, 608, Oslo, Norway

    Lars Engebretsen

  5. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Lars Engebretsen

Authors
  1. Frank P. Luyten
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  2. Matteo Denti
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  3. Giuseppe Filardo
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  4. Elizaveta Kon
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  5. Lars Engebretsen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lars Engebretsen.

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Luyten, F.P., Denti, M., Filardo, G. et al. Definition and classification of early osteoarthritis of the knee. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 20, 401–406 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-011-1743-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-011-1743-2

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