Cruciate ligament healing and injury prevention in the age of regenerative medicine and technostress: homeostasis revisited

Purpose This clinical concepts paper discusses the essential elements of cruciate ligament recuperation, micro-trauma repair, and remodeling. Methods Cruciate ligament mechanobiology and tissue heterogeneity, anatomy and vascularity, and synovial membrane and fluid functions are discussed in relationship to deficiency-induced inflammatory responses, nervous and immune system function, recuperation, repair and remodeling, and modern threats to homeostasis. Results Cruciate ligament surgical procedures do not appreciate the vital linked functions of the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems and immune system function on knee ligament injury recuperation, micro-trauma repair, and remodeling. Enhanced knowledge of these systems could provide innovative ways to decrease primary non-contact knee injury rates and improve outcomes following reconstruction or primary repair. Conclusions Restoration of knee joint homeostasis is essential to cruciate ligament recuperation, micro-trauma repair, and remodeling. The nervous and immune systems are intricately involved in this process. Varying combinations of high-intensity training, under-recovery, technostress, and environmental pollutants (including noise) regularly expose many athletically active individuals to factors that abrogate the environment needed for cruciate ligament recuperation, micro-trauma repair, and remodeling. Current sports training practice, lifestyle psychobehaviors, and environmental factors combine to increase both primary non-contact knee injury risk and the nervous and immune system dysregulation that lead to poor sleep, increased anxiety, and poorly regulated hormone and cytokine levels. These factors may create a worst-case scenario leading to poor ligament recuperation, micro-trauma repair, and remodeling. Early recognition and modification of these factors may decrease knee ligament injury rates and improve cruciate ligament repair or reconstruction outcomes. Level of evidence V.