Load-bearing joints, particularly the knee, are at risk of developing osteoarthritis after injury, particularly in relation to participation in high-impact sport. The results of this study suggest that the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis increases in athletes who have suffered a traumatic knee injury. Trauma to the knee joint can lead to a series of injuries and damage to the articular cartilage. Articular cartilage damage is mainly associated with intra-articular bleeding which leads to (post-traumatic) joint inflammation. Once the joint experiences trauma, chronic remodeling of the cartilage and other tissues of the joint initiates and progresses to osteoarthritis in most cases. The most effective forms of evaluation and diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis are physical examination and plain radiography. Osteoarthritis prevention and self-management strategies should be targeted at athletes with a history of knee injury. Healthcare professionals should target individuals with knee injuries for primary prevention regarding education, activity modification, and the role of restoration of neuromuscular function and exercise in surgical decision-making and recovery. rehabilitation. The development of knee osteoarthritis in athletes. Degenerative joint disease is an endemic disease that affects approximately 20 million people in the United States alone (Britton, 2009, p.1). Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and is defined as a progressive process of destruction and degeneration or wear of articular cartilage that typically occurs in people aged 50 and older (Lozada, 2014). Although this disease is well known for its association with the natural aging process, it is also prevalent in...... middle of article ......cold-related knee osteoarthritis: opportunities for prevention primary and secondary osteoarthritis of the knee. Arthritis Research and Therapy, 1-28. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2945059/#__ffn_sectitle.Lotz, MK (June 28, 2010). New developments in osteoarthritis. Post-traumatic osteoarthritis: pathogenesis and pharmacological treatment options. Arthritis Research and Therapy, 1-9. Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/ar3046.pdf. Lozada, MD, CJ (April 3, 2014). Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis. Accessed May 21, 2014, from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/330487-overview#a0101. Vincent, HK, Vincent, KR, Conrad, B., & Fregly, BJ (May 1, 2013). The pathophysiology of osteoarthritis: a mechanical perspective on the knee joint. PM&R, S3-S9. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3635670/.