In this edition, we are getting a bit ‘jointy’ with studies concerning shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. As sports medicine clinicians, joint injuries (be it ankle sprain, knee cartilage damage or shoulder dislocation) are some of the most common injuries we manage. This edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine presents cutting-edge original research and meta-analyses to guide clinical practice when treating people with joint pain and injury.

Starting at the shoulders, the effect of arthroscopic capsular shift surgery on pain and functional impairment for people with atraumatic shoulder joint instability is investigated ( see page 1484 ). The authors conclude there was only minimal clinically important benefit in the medium term of arthroscopic capsular shift surgery compared with diagnostic arthroscopy. Sticking with shoulders, another practice-changing paper is a systematic review that found that individuals who underwent exercises-based interventions alone after primary traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation were twice as likely to experience recurrent instability than individuals who underwent exercises-based interventions in conjunction with surgery ( see page 1498 ).

While it has been said that hips don’t lie, apparently some do, with a PhD Academy Award helping navigate the complexities of asymptomatic pathology in football players with hip problems ( see page 1528 ).

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are always a hot topic in sports medicine and challenging to manage. This edition features a new method to manage people following ACL rupture, a novel bracing protocol that can result in ACL healing without surgical interventions ( see page 1490 ). A comprehensive systematic review also delves into whether a concussion will increase your risk of biomechanical abnormalities associated with ACL rupture and lateral ankle ligament injury, which is a must read for clinicians working with cutting and change-of-direction sports ( see page 1509 ). Lastly, from the knees, we have an editorial discussing cross education in early stage rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction ( see page 1474 ) and a PhD Academy Award discussing recovery after knee replacement surgery ( see page 1526 ). An equally relevant systematic review for clinicians highlights that taping and orthotics are beneficial for plantar fasciitis with inconclusive evidence for pharmacological interventions ( see page 1516 ).

Last, we introduce an exciting new article type in the British Journal of Sports Medicine—Imaging in Sports Medicine. This new section will illustrate imaging findings of challenging clinical cases, both common and unusual, encountered by sport and exercise medicine clinicians ( see page 1472 ).

We hope you enjoy this edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine informing the critical role of healthy joints and strong muscles for injury prevention and management.

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