Biologics in Sports Medicine

Biologics are a topic of keen interest and vigorous debate in orthopaedics. The use of biologics such as platelet rich plasma (PRP), stem cells, and autologous conditioned serum (ACS) has surged in sports medicine with application often outpacing the basic science or clinical evidence. It can be exceptionally difficult for health care providers to stay abreast of the broad spectrum of biologics in terms of definitions, exact composition, important differences among them, regulatory requirements and status, indications and associated outcomes. This special issue of The Journal of Knee Surgery contains nine original articles covering these difficult topics to distill, including current regulatory positions of the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Association (EMA) for use of these biologics for treatment of knee disorders. Considerable attention was given to contemporary application and outcome for each of the biologics in specific knee tissues, including articular cartilage, patellar tendon, medial collateral ligament, meniscus, and anterior cruciate ligament.

While this single journal issue is not intended to provide an exhaustive review of the use of biologics in orthopaedics, we hope that readers find it valuable as a tool for understanding responsible use of the major biologics currently available for treatment of knee disorders. It is critical that health care providers understand what is being administered to patients when using biologics, how regulatory agencies view biologics, and how to measure outcomes in order for patient safety to be insured. The articles in this special issue, along with the references cited in each, allow the reader to address these critical factors while also providing a platform for furthering continued investigation and discussion in this important field.

We are very grateful for the investment of time and expertise from the contributors to this special issue, who are exceptionally busy global leaders in biologics and sports medicine. We also gratefully acknowledge Dr. James P. Stannard, Editor-in-Chief, and the staff of The Journal of Knee Surgery for their significant assistance in compiling this special issue. We believe the combined efforts of those involved have produced a peer-reviewed reference source for health care providers with the rigor and quality of information that allows for understanding and appropriate application of biologics to safely and effectively treat patients.