Playing professional sports can take a toll on the body. Research on high impact sports such as football and soccer are showing these athletes are developing osteoarthritis and requiring knee replacement surgery at a younger age and a higher rate than the general public. One study presented at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting focused on the prevalence of these conditions in former professional soccer players and you can read more on their findings here: http://www.healio.com/rheumatology/osteoporosis-and-bone-disorders/news/online/{7675889d-6639-4153-88f3-68a7ab83996b}/former-professional-soccer-players-found-more-likely-to-have-knee-oa-vs-general-population