Abstract
Purpose
To investigate mechanism of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, risk factors and outcome in amateur football players.
Methods
We analysed with a specific questionnaire and KOOS score 81 amateur players, at 2 years from injury and operation.
Results
62% of athletes played like midfielders, the other 38% like defenders or strikers (p < 0.01). 83% of ACL injuries occurred in preferred leg (p < 0.01) and in 76.5% cases were due to an indirect trauma. 85% of injuries occurred during a football match. 80% of players used circular cleats (p < 0.01). G-ST graft was used in 68% and BTB in 32%. Mean injury age was 20.7 ± 2.53 years. Mean time between operation and first training was 142 ± 3.83 days and between operation and first match was 188 ± 4.45 days. Mean KOOS score at 2 years was 97.6 ± 2.14% in G-ST group and 97 ± 1.23% in BTB group (p > 0.1). They felt at about 85% of their pre-injury level with G-ST as graft and at 89% with BTB (p > 0.1).
Conclusion
ACL injury in amateur football athletes occurs mainly during matches and is often due to an indirect trauma. Midfielder is more at risk, especially in his preferred leg and particularly if he wears shoes with circular cleats. After recovery, first training is at about 142 days and first match at 188. KOOS score and subjective feeling of recovery show satisfactory results at 2 years from surgery.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Sanders TL, Maradit Kremers H, Bryan AJ et al (2016) Incidence of anterior cruciate ligament tears and reconstruction: a 21-year population-based study. Am J Sports Med 44(6):1502–1507
Krustrup P, Aagaard P, Nybo L et al (2010) Recreational football as a health promoting activity: a topical review. Scand J Med Sci Sports 20(Suppl. 1):1–13
Granan LP, Bahr R, Steindal K et al (2008) Development of a national cruciate ligament surgery registry: the norwegian national knee ligament registry. Am J Sports Med 36:308–315
Prodromos CC, Han Y, Rogowski J et al (2007) A meta-analysis of the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament tears as a function of gender, sport, and a knee injury-reduction regimen. Arthroscopy 23:1320–1325
Bjordal JM, Arnły F, Hannestad B et al (1997) Epidemiology of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in soccer. Am J Sports Med 25(3):341–345
Boden BP, Dean GS, Feagin JA Jr et al (2000) Mechanisms of anterior cruciate ligament injury. Orthopedics 23(6):573–578
Yohei S, Sandra JS (2008) Mechanisms of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury. J Athl Train. 43(4):396–408
Domnick C, Raschke MJ, Herbor M (2016) Biomechanics of the anterior cruciate ligament: physiology, rupture and reconstruction techniques. World J Orthop 7(2):82–93
Hawkins RD, Fuller CW (1999) A prospective epidemiological study of injuries in four English professional football clubs. Br J Sports Med 33(3):196–203
Waldén M, Hägglund M, Magnusson H, Ekstrand J (2011) Anterior cruciate ligament injury in elite football: a prospective three-cohort study. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 19(1):11–19
Arnason A, Tenga A, Engebretsen L, Bahr R (2004) A prospective video-based analysis of injury situations in elite male football: football incident analysis. Am J Sports Med 32(6):1459–1465
Chomiak J, Junge A, Peterson L, Dvorak J (2000) Severe injuries in football players. Influencing factors. Am J Sports Med 28(5 Suppl):S58–S68
Hawkins RD, Fuller CW (1998) An examination of the frequency and severity of injuries and incidents at three levels of professional football. Br J Sports Med 32:326–332
Nielsen AB, Yde J (1989) Epidemiology and traumatology of injuries in soccer. Am J Sports Med 17:803–807
Faude O, Junge A, Kindermann W, Dvorak J (2006) Risk factors for injuries in elite female soccer players. Br J Sports Med 40(9):785–790
Brophy RH, Stepan JG, Silvers HJ, Mandelbaum BR (2015) Defending puts the anterior cruciate ligament at risk during soccer: a gender-based analysis. Sports Health 7(3):244–249
Brophy R, Silvers HJ, Gonzales T, Mandelbaum BR (2010) Gender influences: the role of leg dominance in ACL injury among soccer players. Br J Sports Med 44(10):694–697
Gehring D, Rott F, Stapelfeldt B, Gollhofer A (2007) Effect of soccer shoe cleats on knee joint loads. Int J Sports Med 28(12):1030–1034 (Epub 2007 Apr 23)
Lambson RB, Barnhill BS, Higgins RW (1996) Football cleat design and its effect on anterior cruciate ligament injuries. A three-year prospective study. Am J Sports Med. 24(2):155–159
Livesay GA, Reda DR, Nauman EA (2006) Peak torque and rotational stiffness developed at the shoe-surface interface: the effect of shoe type and playing surface. Am J Sports Med 34(3):415–422 (Epub 2006 Jan 6)
Bigoni M, Zanchi N, Turati M (2017) Healing potential and surgical treatment of anterior cruciate ligament rupture in paediatric population. Sport Sci Health 13:645
Backous DD, Friedl KE, Smith NJ et al (1988) Soccer injuries and their relation to physical maturity. Am J Dis Child 142(839–842):4
Keller CS, Noyes FR, Buncher CR (1987) The medical aspects of soccer injury epidemiology. Am J Sports Med 15(230–237):31
Amiel D, Kleiner JB, Roux RD et al (1986) The phenomenon of “ligamentization”: anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with autogenous patellar tendon. J Orthop Res 4(2):162–172
Wipfler B, Donner S, Zechmann CM et al (2011) Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using patellar tendon versus hamstring tendon: a prospective comparative study with 9-year follow-up. Arthroscopy 27(5):653–665
Marumo K, Saito M, Yamagishi T et al (2005) The “ligamentization” process in human anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with autogenous patellar and hamstring tendons: a biochemical study. Am J Sports Med 33(8):1166–1173
Shaerf DA, Pastides PS, Sarraf KM et al (2014) Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction best practice: a review of graft choice. World J Orthop 5(1):23–29
Bigoni M, Gaddi D, Gorla M, Munegato D, Pungitore M, Piatti M, Turati M (2017) Arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament repair for proximal anterior cruciate ligament tears in skeletally immature patients: surgical technique and preliminary results. Knee 24(1):40–48
Zaffagnini S, Grassi A, Serra M et al (2015) Return to sport after ACL reconstruction: how, when and why? A narrative review of current evidence. Joints 3(1):25–30
Ardern CL, Taylor NF, Feller JA et al (2014) Fifty-five per cent return to competitive sport following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis including aspects of physical functioning and contextual factors. Br J Sports Med 48(21):1543–1552
Waldén M, Hägglund M, Magnusson H et al (2016) ACL injuries in men’s professional football: a 15-year prospective study on time trends and return-to-play rates reveals only 65% of players still play at the top level 3 years after ACL rupture. Br J Sports Med 50(12):744–750
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
All authors deny relationships or interests (financial and non) that could have direct or potential influence or impart bias on the work.
Research involving human participants and/or animals
All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Informed consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Luiso, F., Tromponi, C., Pozza, P. et al. Anterior cruciate ligament injury in amateur football players: risk factors and return to sport after surgical reconstruction. Sport Sci Health 14, 365–370 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-018-0443-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-018-0443-4