Osteoarthritis-related biomarkers following anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction: a systematic review

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#anterior-cruciate-ligament #anterior-cruciate-ligament-injuries #anterior-cruciate-ligament-reconstruction #biomarkers #case-control-studies

Osteoarthritis-related biomarkers following anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction: a systematic review

Harkey et al., 2015 | Osteoarthritis Cartilage | Systematic Review

Citation

Harkey M S, Luc B A, ... Pietrosimone B. Osteoarthritis-related biomarkers following anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction: a systematic review. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2015-Jan;23(1):1-12. doi:10.1016/j.joca.2014.09.004

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: There is an increased risk of developing knee osteoarthritis (OA) following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Biomarkers may provide diagnostic, prognostic, or burden of disease indicators of OA before radiographic changes become apparent. Unfortunately, there has been no systematic review to clarify which biomarkers may be most informative following injury. Therefore, this review critically investigated existing studies of OA-related biomarkers in ACL-deficient (ACL-D) and reconstructed (ACL-R) patients to summarize the current evidence and identify knowledge gaps. DESIGN: A systematic review of the literature in Web of Science and PubMed databases (1960-June 2014) was performed. All English-language case-control and longitudinal studies assessing OA-related biomarkers in ACL-D and ACL-R patients were considered. Data regarding biomarker changes over time within ACL-D and ACL-R patients as well as differences in ACL-D/ACL-R patients compared with a control group were extracted from pertinent studies. RESULTS: A descriptive summary of 20 included studies was produced. In ACL-D patients compared with controls, synovial fluid biomarkers indicated elevated collagen turnover, while the inflammatory cytokine response was inconclusive. In ACL-R patients, serum concentrations indicated decreased collagen breakdown, but urine concentrations were indicative of greater collagen breakdown when compared to controls. Compared to preoperative values, the overall inflammatory cytokine response measured with synovial fluid biomarkers increased while plasma biomarkers did not change following reconstruction. CONCLUSION: Patients with ACL-D or ACL-R have altered biomarkers indicative of OA. More research with standardized reporting is needed to effectively determine which biomarkers are the most indicative for OA development and progression following ACL injury.

Key Findings

A descriptive summary of 20 included studies was produced. In ACL-D patients compared with controls, synovial fluid biomarkers indicated elevated collagen turnover, while the inflammatory cytokine response was inconclusive. In ACL-R patients, serum concentrations indicated decreased collagen breakdown, but urine concentrations were indicative of greater collagen breakdown when compared to controls. Compared to preoperative values, the overall inflammatory cytokine response measured with synovial

Outcomes Measured

  • inflammatory markers

Population

Field Value
Population acl
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
  • Biomarkers
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Humans
  • Osteoarthritis, Knee
  • Postoperative Complications

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Systematic Review
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: collagen

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09