Football Players Who Had ACL Surgery

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries are a common and serious concern for football players. An ACL injury is caused due to the rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament that is responsible for holding the knee bones together. The nature of the football game puts a player’s knees under a lot of pressure. These players can get hurt either by a knock on the knee or can get a non-contact injury. Despite their injuries, numerous football players have made remarkable comebacks following their recovery. This article discusses why football players are more likely to sustain an ACL injury and players who have recovered from their injuries.

Why are Football Players More Prone to ACL Injuries?

Injury to the anterior cruciate ligament is the most common knee injury. It could be caused either due to direct contact or noncontact to the knee.

1. Physical Demands During The Game 

In football, players frequently exert a lot of force on their knees when cutting and pivoting. When a player puts a foot on the ground and tries to twist their body such that their weight is on that foot,  the ACL attempts to resist the force and preserve the knee’s integrity against it. When this force exceeds a certain limit and the ACL cannot cope with the force, it ruptures either partially or completely. 

2. Lack of Strength and Flexibility: Insufficient warm up before the game and lack of muscle strengthening exercises can increase the risk of ACL injuries among players. This can cause stiffness of the muscles and lead to injuries with sudden movements.

3. Poor Biomechanics: Poor biomechanics can contribute to an increased risk of injury in athletes. Biomechanics refers to the study of how the body moves, and poor biomechanics can lead to inefficient movements, imbalances, and compensations, which can increase the risk of injury. To prevent injuries related to poor biomechanics, athletes can work with a coach or physical therapist to identify and correct any imbalances or compensations in their movements. 

4. Difficulty in Controlling Movements: Difficulty in controlling movements due to fatigue is a common issue in many sports and can increase the risk of injury for athletes. When an athlete becomes fatigued, their muscles may tire, making it more challenging to control their movements and maintain proper form and technique. This can lead to a loss of coordination, balance, and control, which can increase the risk of injury.

5. Having a History of an ACL injury: Having a history of an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury increases the risk of re-injury in athletes. The ACL is an important ligament in the knee joint that helps to stabilize the knee during high-impact activities such as running, jumping, and cutting. When an ACL injury occurs, the ligament can tear or become damaged, leading to instability in the knee joint.

•  

There are certain risk factors also that increase the chances of football players getting an ACL injury. Every filed position is associated with a specific level of risk to your anterior cruciate ligament. This is because of the particular movements the players have to perform. While offensive skill players in football are most likely to suffer an ACL injury, linebackers, out of all defensive players, are most prone to get their ACL hurt.

Other risk factors include

• Dryness/wetness of the football field surface
• Type of turf that surfaces the field
• Any past ACL injury will further enhance your risk of having another one.

Football Players Who Returned from ACL Injuries

ACL injuries can be mild, less severe or highly severe, the last one requiring an ACL repair surgery. Those with a torn ACL need around a year to recover. 

ACL injuries have tragically ended some promising careers, and some were forced to retire. However, few of them made a tremendous comeback despite their injuries. Here are a few inspirational stories of athletes who survived career-ending injuries.

1. Alan Shearer

In a match against Leeds United in December 1992, Shearer tore his right knee’s ACL. After surgery and many months of rehabilitation, he returned the following season. He rapidly made up for the time he had lost by scoring an astounding 31 goals. 

2. Ruud Van Nistelrooy

In April 2000,  this Dutch striker injured his right ACL during a training session as he fell awkwardly while aiming for a header. However, he returned a year later and scored twice on his Premier League debut. He also went on to score 95 goals for the team in 150 league outings.

3. Xavi

He had a right ACL injury during a training session in 2005, which prevented him from competing in the Germany World Cup the following year. However, he made a spectacular return within 5 months, winning several titles and a world cup.

4. Robert Pires 

He had an ACL injury in 2002, which sidelined him for more than six months and caused him to miss the 2002 World Cup. He did, however, return and reclaimed the Premier League championship in 2003-04, scoring 19 goals that season.

5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

He suffered a right ACL injury in April 2017 during the Europa League semi-final at the age of 35. In the match’s closing minutes, he landed awkwardly while attempting to control the ball. He returned after 7 months. He evenscored 11 goals in 20 appearances at the age of 39.

6. Roy Keane

In September 1997, he suffered an ACL injury while trying to trip his opponent. He returned the following campaign, where the team won the famous treble that year.

7. Tom Brady

Brady suffered both an ACL and MCL (Medial collateral ligament) injury in the left knee in the opening game of the 2008 NFL season after being knocked on the knee by another player. After fully recovering from the injury, he returned to the field in outstanding form the following season.

How to Prevent ACL Injuries in Footballers?

Preventing such injuries is possible through guidance from an athletic trainer or physical therapist. Knowledge of the rotational body movements required in the game, along with a full understanding of the nature of the game, helps the players maintain their fitness. Knee braces are another way to enhance stability while practicing and playing. Few of the ips for preventing injuries in footballers:

• Do not miss your warm-ups- Warming up before working out is essential as it provides blood circulation to the cold and stiff muscles. Warm-ups makes your muscles agile and loose, thereby allowing the flexibility for a good workout and preventing injury to the ACL
• Do not miss the stretches post-exercise- Stretches after completing the workout are important to prevent soreness of the muscles ,which can predispose you to develop ACL tears. Calves, quadriceps, hamstring, inner thigh and hip flexors stretching exercises are to be done daily to improve flexibility and prevent injury to the ACL.
• Do not compromise your knee- You should avoid putting your knee in a vulnerable position as it can lead to ACl injury. For eg. do not calve in one knee – this happens when you are bending down with the main leg, and your knee is leaning to the inside. This will cause increased pressure on the ACL ligamient and it would result in injury. Instead, you should bend you knee straight down over the foot.
• Try to land safely- ACl tears and sprains mostly occur due to improper landing during the game. This happens when your knee bends or gets twisted as you fall on the field. You should train in the proper mechanics to land better to prevent this. Firstly you should practice learning to fall on your two feet properly – you can try doing this from different heights and then try landing on one leg safely. You should also practice landing laterally without causing injury to your knee. 
• Increase the strength of the legs- You need to land safely to prevent injury but you can only land when you have strong legs- and for that you should develop leg strength and power as when the muscles that surround your knee are strong, then your ligaments gets protected from tearing.If the muscles on your leg are weak, then more pressure is exerted on your ligaments- this increases their chances of getting injured. You can do the following exercise:
  • Calf exercises and squatting for strengthening and balancing.
  • Single leg strengthening exercises for balancing and mobility.
  • Core exercises for supporting the upper body and reducing knee stress.
  • Gluteal, hamstring, and quadriceps training for supporting the knee for hard collisions during the game.
  • Proprioception exercises for balancing
• Do not forget Plyometric exercises- These are done to provide extra power to the legs. They concentrate on jumping and landing softly to prevent ACL injuries. Some of the polymetric exercises are -hopping over a cone forward, backward, and laterally, single leg hops over the cone, vertical jumping with headers and scissors jumping.
• Be ready to learn- You, as an athlete, should interact with your coaches, physiotherapists and doctors and follow their advice on how to stay free from ACL injuries. Ask your physiotherapist to keep a check on the strength and the health of your knee muscles and ligaments. This will prevent your chances of encountering an ACL injury. 

Takeaway

It is important for football players to incorporate strength and conditioning programs, proper warm-up and cool-down routines, and proper technique training to reduce their risk of ACL injury. Additionally, prompt medical attention and proper rehabilitation following an ACL injury can help to ensure a successful recovery. You can contact our expert team at Medfin for assistance on orthopedic doctor in Bangalore for injuries such as an ACL rupture. Our team can guide you on the best treatment measures that would suit you.

---

Disclaimer: The content on this site is the copyright of Medfin and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This should not be considered a substitute for medical and surgical expertise. Results from any treatments or surgeries are subjective to an individual patient and the type of procedure/surgery performed. Please seek professional help regarding any medical concerns. Medfin will not be responsible for any act or omission arising from the interpretation of the content present on this page.