An ACL injury is arguably the worst in football, and they occur a lot more frequently than clubs, players and fans would like.
The Cruciate ligaments are inside of the knee and cross over like an X with the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) at the front, and the Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) at the back. These ligaments control the back-and-forth motion of the knee.
Typically, an ACL injury is a non-contact injury, as opposed to one that happens when two players come together in a collision.
How does an ACL injury occur in football?
An ACL tear can be caused by a rapid change in direction, sudden stopping, slowing down while running, landing a jump incorrectly, direct contact.
Symptoms include a popping sound, feeling that the knee has “given way”, swelling, reduced movement of the knee, tenderness.
Are women more at risk of ACL injuries in football than men?
Women have noticeably been going down with ACL tears more often than their male counterparts and there are a number of reasons why.
- During week 2 of the menstrual cycle, oestrogen is highest and studies show that higher oestrogen can promote looser and therefore unstable joints.
- Women tend to land in a more valgus position which means their knees point inwards. This puts you at higher risk of knee injury.
- Poorer facilities in the women’s game means there are poorer pitches and equipment that can contribute to higher incidences of injuries in general.
- Majority of football boots are designed for a male foot. Women have different foot anatomy to men, for example they have a higher foot arch which means their footwear is likely playing a roll in their increased ACL injury rate.
How is an ACL injury treated and/or prevented?
Treatment is usually surgical but can be non-surgical for non-athletes, those with grade 1 tears and elderly people who may be at high risk for surgery or do not mobilize as much.
Non-surgical management will involve RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), bracing, crutches, and physiotherapy appointments. The surgical management of an ACL tear usually uses a graft (often from the patellar tendon) to rebuild the ligament.
Recovery is dependent on the grade of the ACL damage, though.
- Grade 1 – ACL mildly damaged, has been slightly stretched but can keep the joint stable. General healing time is about 2 to 4 weeks.
- Grade 2 – ACL is partially torn. Can take up to 6 to 8 weeks for recovery.
- Grade 3 – ACL is completely torn into 2, this is the most common grade. Surgery is needed and takes players on average 9 months to return.
To prevent an ACL tear it is important to stretch correctly before and after exercise. Stretches include the long sitting calf stretch, popliteal stretch, standing/wall calf stretch and knee slides.
More stories about injuries
FourFourTwo has more guides on injuries in football.
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