An Overview of the Association Between Smoking and Cartilage Disorders

Although the harmful effects of smoking on the musculoskeletal system, especially bone effects, are well identified, the data on the relationship between smoking and cartilage disorders are limited. This review discovered associations between smoking and cartilage disorders.

A literature search was conducted in the following three databases in September 2023 for related articles in English without time limitation: Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. In the initial search, 285 documents were recorded. Eventually, 20 studies were involved in this review, and the required data were extracted from the full text. 

Our review study provided evidence for the association between smoking and different knee/spine cartilage disorders, such as augmented cartilage size, declined strain ratio, weak postoperative outcome, low fusion rate, and risk for spinal reoperation. 

As the use of tobacco products is a crucial global public health concern, additional research to comprehend the mechanisms of the effects of smoking on musculoskeletal system disorders is highly recommended.