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Articular cartilage defects in the knee of young or active individuals remain a problem in orthopaedic practice. These defects have limited ability to heal and may prog-ress to osteoarthritis. The prevalence of knee osteoar-thritis among athletes is higher than in the non-athletic population. The clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis are joint pain, limitation of range of motion and joint stiff-ness. The diagnosis of osteoarthritis is confi rmed by the symptoms and the radiological fi ndings (narrowing joint space, osteophyte formation and subchondral sclerosis). There is no strong correlation between symptoms and radiographic fi ndings. The aetiology of knee osteoarthri-tis is multifactorial. Excessive musculoskeletal loading (at work or in sports), high body mass index, previou