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Minimal functional differences found between ACL-reconstructed, healthy knees in soccer players
Female soccer players who underwent ACL reconstruction showed no significant functional differences in the reconstructed and uninvolved limbs and had minimal functional differences compared with female soccer players with healthy knees, according to results.
Researchers assessed postural control and hop performance among 77 active, female soccer players who underwent ACL reconstruction and 77 female soccer players with healthy knees. Using 2-D analyses, researchers also assessed movement asymmetries in the lower limbs and trunk with the drop vertical jump and the tuck jump.
Results showed no differences between the reconstructed and uninvolved limbs in any of the tests. Compared with healthy controls, researchers noted players who underwent ACL reconstruction performed worse on the 5-jump test. Researchers found players who underwent ACL reconstruction also had significantly less knee valgus motion in the frontal plane and a lower probability of a high knee abduction moment on the drop vertical jump test. Overall, 9% to 49% of players in both groups performed outside recommended guidelines on the different tests, according to results, with 18% of players who underwent ACL reconstruction and 19% of healthy controls meeting the recommended guidelines for all five tests. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosure: The study was financially supported by Futurum the Academy for Healthcare, Region Jönköping County, the Medical Research Council of Southeast Sweden, the Faculty of Health Sciences at Linköping University, the Swedish Research Council for Sport Science and the Swedish Football Association.