2015 ISAKOS Biennial Congress ePoster #1258

Are Professional Football Players Part of a Specific Group at Higher Risk of Septic Arthritis after ACL Surgery?

Pieter D'Hooghe, MD PhD, Doha, Qatar QATAR
Bert Roland Mandelbaum, MD, DHL(Hon), Santa Monica, California UNITED STATES
Jiri Dvorak, MD, Prof., Zurich SWITZERLAND

Aspetar F-MARC FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, Doha, QATAR

FDA Status Not Applicable

Summary: Our data suggests that professional athletes don’t have a significant higher risk of septic arthritis after ACL reconstruction. A combined lateral tenodesis presents as a higher ( but not significant ) risk factor in the development of infection after ACL reconstruction.

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Abstract:

Background

Septic arthritis after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a rare but potential career-ending complication for a professional Football player. Recent literature suggests that professional Football players are part of a specific group at higher risk for septic arthritis after ACL surgery.

Purpose

To globally compare the prevalence and characteristics of septic arthritis in professional Football players versus recreational Football players.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of 20.629 Football players who underwent ACL reconstruction between 2009 and 2014 was performed. A questionnaire on the patient demographics and gender, ACL prevalence and characteristics ( involved organism, injury indoor/ outdoor, delay to surgery and type of surgery ) was sent to 15 FIFA F-MARC Centers of Excellence worldwide and reviewed.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
Statistical analysis was performed using the Epi Info software, version 3 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia). Potential risk factors were first analyzed using a univariate analysis; qualitative variables were compared using the Pearson x2 test. Quantitative variables were compared using the Student t test. Correlation between the potential risk factors was examined using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The significance threshold for tests was set at P<0,5.

Results

The prevalence of septic arthritis was 1,2% in the recreational group and 1,5% in the professional Football group.

- Being a professional Football player is not found to be significantly correlated with septic arthritis after ACL reconstruction.

- A higher but not significant correlation of postoperative ACL infection risk exists between being a professional Football player and having a combined lateral tenodesis.

- Participation in Outdoor/indoor sports activity is not a risk factor in the occurrence of infection after ACL reconstruction.

Conclusion

Our data suggests that professional Football players don’t have a significant higher risk of septic arthritis after ACL reconstruction.

A combined lateral tenodesis is not a significant risk factor in the development of infection after ACL reconstruction.