2025 ISAKOS Biennial Congress ePoster
Youth Male Football Players Undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Demonstrate High Rates Of Return To Sport And Progression To Professional Level Football
Gabriel Furlan Margato, MD, São Paulo, SP BRAZIL
Gilvan Rodrigues da Silva Nunes, MD, São Paulo, SP BRAZIL
Davi Casadio, MD, São Paulo, São Paulo BRAZIL
Moises Cohen, MD, PhD, Prof., São Paulo, SP BRAZIL
Diego Costa Astur, MD, PhD, São Paulo, SP BRAZIL
Universidade Federal de São Paulo, SAO PAULO, SP, BRAZIL
FDA Status Not Applicable
Summary
Tracking 163 young male footballers post-ACL reconstruction, most injuries occurred in the under-17 and under-20 categories, with 68.1% returning to sport, 24.5% reaching elite levels, and 83.3% of professionals continuing to play, with hamstring tendons used in 77.3% of surgeries.
Abstract
Purpose
to evaluate the progression of young male football athletes who undergo ACL reconstruction and track their progression from youth to professional level play after a minimum of 2 years of follow-up.
Methods
163 male players from 29 football teams underwent ACL reconstruction and were followed from 2015 to 2021. They were evaluated regarding category progression (under-13 to professional), type of graft used, presence of re-rupture, and return to sport (RTS) /continuation of the sport.
Results
Most injuries occurred in players in the under-17 (31.3%) and under-20 (47.2%) categories. One hundred eleven patients continued playing after ACL reconstruction (68.1%), and 52 patients discontinued their careers (31.9%). 40 out of 111 patients achieve the elite adult level (24.5%), and 71 are still playing and continuing to participate in youth football, yet to be in the elite adult level (43.6% of all 163 patients). Among those who achieved the elite adult level, 8 underwent an ACL revision reconstruction. The graft of choice in 77.3% of the primary ACL reconstructions was the hamstring tendons.
Conclusion
Athletes from professional football teams who underwent ACL reconstruction while still playing in their clubs' youth teams demonstrated an RTS rate of 68.1%. Among players who returned to the sport and became adult league professionals, 83.3% continued to play at the adult professional level, and 16.7% discontinued their careers.