Information about project titled 'Why are players with a previous ACL injury at elevated risk of sustaining a new secondary ACL injury?'
Why are players with a previous ACL injury at elevated risk of sustaining a new secondary ACL injury?
| Details about the project - category | Details about the project - value |
|---|---|
| Project status: | Ongoing |
| Project manager: | Lasse Mausehund |
| Supervisor(s): | Tron Krosshaug, Sami Äyrämö |
Description
Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries constitute the largest problem in female elite ball/team sport, due to their relatively high incidence and serious short- and long-term consequences. About 25% of the athletes who return to play after an ACL injury end up with a new secondary ACL injury. To make return to these sports safer we need more knowledge of injury causation. Also, ACL injuries typically occur during single-leg landings or cutting maneuvers, which is why such movements should be in the center of research attention.
Aim: The purpose of this study is 1) to investigate whether knee biomechanics during sidestep cutting maneuvers differ between athletes with and without a history of ACL injury, and 2) to assess if knee biomechanics during cutting movements is related to secondary ACL injury after primary ACL injury in elite female athletes.
Methods: 751 female elite handball and football players, 72 of which with a history of ACL injury, performed sport-specific cutting tasks while 3D kinematics and kinetics were measured. ACL injuries were registered prospectively over a follow-up period of 8 years. During the follow up period, 14 players sustained a new secondary ACL injury. Seven knee related potential risk factors are the primary outcome measures and used as the basis for all statistical analyses. In the first part of this study, both the previously injured leg and the uninjured leg of players with an ACL injury history will be compared with legs of injury free players. In the second part of this study, we will use logistic regression analyses to examine the variables’ association with injury risk.
Implications: Gaining new insights into the injury etiology of secondary ACL injuries can help us to develop effective injury prevention strategies. Considering the serious short- and long-term consequences of ACL injuries, lowering the injury incidence is of major importance for both the athlete, the team and society.