The declaration of a special interest in sports medicine and particularly an interest in sports orthopaedics reveals a referral base which includes knee injury as the most common presentation. Over the next four journal issues, this series will examine the general pattern of acute injuries followed by the more specific topics of instability, patellar dislocation, patellar tendon lesions, meniscal injury, and articular cartilage defects.

By way of introduction, the first article highlights the magnitude of the problem, the common diagnostic inaccuracy, and the need for a regional referral structure. It was written by Steve Bollen, who completed an overseas fellowship in sports orthopaedics and has subsequently been a consultant in knee and ankle surgery at a district general hospital for eight years. He is involved in the production of Best practice guidelines in ACL reconstruction on behalf of the British Orthopaedic Association, and has treated many elite athletes mainly from the sports of soccer, rugby, and ballet.