Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34104662›Full record

ArticleOrthopaedic journal of sports medicine2021

Return-to-Play Times and Player Performance After ACL Reconstruction in Elite UEFA Professional Soccer Players: A Matched-Cohort Analysis From 1999 to 2019.

Brian Forsythe, Ophelie Z Lavoie-Gagne, Enrico M Forlenza, Connor C Diaz, Randy Mascarenhas

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Article in Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

34 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  20. Return to competition after ACL reconstruction: Factors influencing rates and timing in Swedish football players.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Brian ForsytheMidwest Orthopaedics at Rush, Division of Sports Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Ophelie Z Lavoie-GagneDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Enrico M ForlenzaDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Connor C DiazDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Randy MascarenhasDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Winnipeg Clinic, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAnterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is one of the most common injuries afflicting soccer players and requires a lengthy recovery processes after reconstructive surgery. The impact of ACL reconstruction (ACLR) on return to play (RTP) time and player performance in professional soccer players remains poorly studied. PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: To determine player performance and RTP rate and time after ACLR in elite professional soccer players with a retrospective matched-cohort analysis. We expected that the RTP time and rate will be similar to those of other professional-level athletes. STUDY

designCohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

methodsIncluded were 51 players from 1 of the 5 elite Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) soccer leagues who suffered a complete ACL rupture between 1999 and 2019. These athletes were matched by position, age, season of injury, seasons played, and height and compared to uninjured control players. Change in performance metrics for the 4 years after the season of injury were compared with metrics 1 season before injury. Univariate 2-group comparisons were performed using independent 2-group

resultsOverall, 41 players (80%) returned to play after ACL rupture, with 6 (12%) experiencing a subsequent ipsilateral or contralateral ACL tear. The mean (±SD) RTP time for soccer players after ACLR was 216 ± 109 days (26 ± 18 games). Injured athletes played significantly fewer games and minutes per season and recorded inferior performances for 2 seasons after their injury (

conclusionResults indicated that the mean RTP time for soccer players after ACLR is short in comparison with other major sports leagues (216 days). However, RTP rates were high, and rerupture rates were comparable with those of other sports. With the exception of attackers, player performance largely equaled or exceeded that of matched controls by the third postinjury season.

Indexed as

anterior cruciate ligament reconstructionplayer performancereturn to playsoccerUnion of European Football Associations (UEFA)

Identifiers

PMID34104662
PMCPMC8165856

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.