Frequency of MRI-detected peripheral osteoarthritis in athletes during the Summer Olympics in Rio 2016

Abstract Objective To describe the frequency and severity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based peripheral osteoarthritis (OA) in athletes during the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games. Methods All MRIs of the peripheral joints in Olympic athletes, performed at the centralized imaging facility, either following acute trauma or for non-traumatic joint pain, were included. All MRIs were retrospectively reviewed for presence and severity of MRI-based OA using an adapted Outerbridge classification for cartilage and adapted classifications for other tissues. Scoring of MRI abnormalities was independently and retrospectively performed without reference to the on-site clinical reports. The frequencies of MRI-detected OA were tabulated and grouped into sports categories, athletes’ age ( Results 11,274 athletes participated in the Games. 320 athletes underwent MRI of the peripheral joints. One hundred sixty (50.0%) were female, 109 (34.1%) were Conclusions MRI-defined OA was not uncommon among elite athletes in this selected sample.