Differences in cartilage biomarkers have been noted in patients with anterior cruciate ligament tears, but little is known about any similar relationship with shoulder instability. This study evaluated the relationship between serum cartilage biomarkers and shoulder instability. The authors present a prospective cohort study of young athletes followed from 2006 to 2010. A nested case-control analysis was conducted within this cohort to evaluate the association between preinjury collagen type II cleavage (a marker for type II collagen cleavage) and procollagen II carboxy propeptide (a marker of cartilage synthesis) and the subsequent likelihood of shoulder instability during the 4-year follow-up period. Preinjury collagen type II cleavage and procollagen II carboxy propeptide levels in 51 subjects who had shoulder instability were compared with levels in 210 subjects without documented anterior cruciate ligament or shoulder instability (control group) with commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Mean preinjury collagen type II cleavage levels in patients who subsequently had shoulder instability were significantly lower than those in the control group (73.91 vs 79.24 pg/mL, P=.03). No significant difference was found in preinjury procollagen II carboxy propeptide levels compared with the control group (359.94 vs 396.37, P=.24). This study is the first to examine the relationship between baseline collagen biomarkers and subsequent shoulder instability. The finding of lower baseline collagen type II cleavage levels in patients with subsequent shoulder instability may represent a genetic predisposition or a compensatory mechanism by which cartilage degradation is decreased in those who are more likely to have instability. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(1):34-36.].
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