Return to Sport and Risk of Second Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury in Elite Male Footballers: 10-Year Experience From a Single Center
Almost all patients returned to play after ACLR using hamstrings graft with over-the-top techniques, typically regaining preinjury performance by the second season after the injury. RTP time was shorter for isolated ACL injuries and longer when associated with meniscal or cartilage injury. Given the high risk of a second ACL injury on either knee and the high reoperation rate, RTP before 5 months should be discouraged, particularly in athletes <21 years.
Authors
- Stefano Zaffagnini (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2941-1407)
- Tommaso Bonanzinga (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2861-4699)
- Federico Maria Adravanti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5805-8617)
- Maurilio Marcacci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7484-1246)
- Alberto Grassi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4236-1798)
- Gian Andrea Lucidi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3065-9212)
- Emanuele Altovino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-5480-6138)
Institutions
- Humanitas University (IT)
- Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli (IT)
- IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital (IT)
- University of Bologna (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine
- Published
- 2025-12-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1177/23259671251391362
- Primary Topic
- Knee injuries and reconstruction techniques
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00