Moretti Lorenzo, Bizzoca Davide, Giancaspro Giovanni Angelo, Cassano Giuseppe Danilo, Moretti Francesco, Setti Stefania, Moretti Biagio
Orthopaedics Unit, Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sensory Organs, School of Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", AOU Consorziale Policlinico, 70124 Bari, Italy.
PhD. Course in Public Health, Clinical Medicine and Oncology, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70124 Bari, Italy.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2021 Nov 4;57(11):1206. doi: 10.3390/medicina57111206.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent degenerative joint disease and the main cause of pain and disability in elderly people. OA currently represents a significant social health problem, since it affects 250 million individuals worldwide, mainly adults aged over 65. Although OA is a multifactorial disease, depending on both genetic and environmental factors, it is reported that joint degeneration has a higher prevalence in former athletes. Repetitive impact and loading, joint overuse and recurrent injuries followed by a rapid return to the sport might explain athletes' predisposition to joint articular degeneration. In recent years, however, big efforts have been made to improve the prevention and management of sports injuries and to speed up the athletes' return-to-sport. Biophysics is the study of biological processes and systems using physics-based methods or based on physical principles. Clinical biophysics has recently evolved as a medical branch that investigates the relationship between the human body and non-ionizing physical energy. A physical stimulus triggers a biological response by regulating specific intracellular pathways, thus acting as a drug. Preclinical and clinical trials have shown positive effects of biophysical stimulation on articular cartilage, subchondral bone and synovia. This review aims to assess the role of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) and extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in the prevention and treatment of joint degeneration in athletes.
骨关节炎（OA）是最常见的退行性关节疾病，也是老年人疼痛和残疾的主要原因。OA目前是一个重大的社会健康问题，因为全球有2.5亿人受其影响，主要是65岁以上的成年人。尽管OA是一种多因素疾病，取决于遗传和环境因素，但据报道， former athletes关节退变的患病率更高。反复冲击和负荷、关节过度使用以及反复受伤后迅速重返运动可能解释了运动员易患关节软骨退变的原因。然而，近年来，人们在改善运动损伤的预防和管理以及加快运动员重返运动方面做出了巨大努力。生物物理学是利用基于物理的方法或基于物理原理研究生物过程和系统的学科。临床生物物理学最近已发展成为一个医学分支，研究人体与非电离物理能量之间的关系。物理刺激通过调节特定的细胞内途径触发生物反应，从而起到药物的作用。临床前和临床试验表明，生物物理刺激对关节软骨、软骨下骨和滑膜有积极作用。本综述旨在评估脉冲电磁场（PEMF）和体外冲击波疗法（ESWT）在预防和治疗运动员关节退变中的作用。
