Summary
The aim of the present study was to report a detailed description of associated injuries at the time of primary ACL reconstruction in elite alpine ski racers and professional soccer players.
Abstract
Introduction
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury represents a serious injury for alpine ski racers and elite soccer players. Concomitant injuries as meniscal, cartilage or collateral ligament lesions could result in a delayed return to sport compared to isolated ACL injuries. However, limited data exists about the patterns of injuries in these two sports. The aim of the present study was to report a detailed description of associated injuries at the time of primary ACL reconstruction in elite alpine ski racers and professional soccer players. The hypothesis was that skier and soccer players would present with different typical patterns of injury due to different injury mechanisms.
Material And Methods
Surgical reports and arthroscopic pictures of professional elite alpine skiers and soccer players undergoing primary ACL reconstruction were retrospectively analyzed to assess the presence/location of multiligament injury, meniscal tears, and chondral lesions. We excluded athletes referred to our clinic with ACL injury that underwent primary ACL reconstruction elsewhere. A propensity score matching analysis with 1:1 ratio was performed between skiers and soccer players to limit the effect of selection bias.
Results
The present study included 37 and 44 consecutive primary ACL
reconstruction of skiers and soccer players, respectively. Meniscal pathology was found in 30 (68%) skiers and 32 (86%) soccer players. Chondral injuries were reported in 15 (34%) skiers and 11 (30%) soccer players.
As compared to alpine skiers, medial meniscal injuries were more frequently observed in
soccer players (p=.03). Also, the prevalence of posterior lateral meniscal root injury was found to differ significantly between disciplines, with higher rates observed in soccer players (p=.04).
Conclusions
A higher prevalence of combined chondral and meniscal injuries vs. isolated ACL injuries were observed in both groups, alpine ski racers and elite soccer players. The latter group was characterized by higher prevalence of medial meniscal tears and lateral posterior root lesions.