Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42367310›Full record

ArticleOrthopaedic journal of sports medicine2026

Technical Trends in Management of ACL Reconstructions in 2025: A Major League Soccer Team Physicians Survey.

Matthew Varano, Henry Eilen, Catherine Hand, Camden Bohn, Yining Lu, Rachel Frank, Danyal Nawabi, Robert Brophy, Bert Mandelbaum, Brian Forsythe

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

10 authors.

Matthew VaranoRush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9122-1792
Henry EilenRush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Catherine HandRush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Camden BohnRush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Yining LuRush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Rachel FrankUniversity of Colorado Sports Medicine, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Danyal NawabiHospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, USA.
Robert BrophyWashington University Orthopaedics, Chesterfield, Missouri, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2912-8265
Bert MandelbaumCedars Saini, Santa Monica, California, USA.
Brian ForsytheRush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1665-5872

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The optimal graft choice for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) remains a subject of ongoing debate. In practice, graft selection in ACLR is multifactorial, with patient characteristics, activity level, and surgeon preference/training background all playing a crucial role in the clinical decision-making process. While graft trends have been reported across select professional sports leagues, none have focused specifically on professional soccer. Purpose: To report current trends in graft preference for ACLR among Major League Soccer (MLS) surgeons. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A 39-question survey was distributed to 27 orthopaedic surgeons affiliated with MLS teams in January 2025. The questionnaire captured each respondent's preferences regarding ACLR management in both the general population and high-level/professional soccer athletes. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses. Results: Surgeons averaged 7.7 years caring for MLS teams and performed a mean of 80 ± 27 ACLRs annually. In primary ACLR for professional soccer athletes, the bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) autograft was preferred (74%), followed by the quadriceps tendon (QT) autograft (22.2%). The hamstring tendon (HT) autograft was uncommon (3.7%). Similar trends were reported for the general population: BPTB autograft (70%), QT autograft (22.2%), and HT autograft (3.7%). For revision procedures, QT autograft was favored (48.2%), followed by BPTB autograft (25.9%) and BPTB allograft (11.1%). Contralateral autografts were more common in revisions (44.4%) than in primary cases (7.4%). Lateral extra-articular augmentation (LEA) was performed in 31.5% of primary cases and 76% of revision cases; iliotibial band tenodesis was favored over anterolateral ligament reconstruction (74.1% vs 25.9%). LEA utilization increased compared with 5 years prior (6.4% vs 29.4%). Conclusion: Among orthopaedic surgeons caring for MLS athletes, BPTB autografts were the preferred graft for primary ACLR. QT autografts were preferred over HT autografts in primary ACLR, and QT autografts were most commonly used in revision surgery. HT autografts were rarely used in primary ACLR and were not preferred in revision scenarios. LEA procedures were widely used among professional soccer athletes.

Indexed as

anterior cruciate ligamentanterior cruciate ligament reconstructionelite athletesgraft preferenceMajor League Soccer

Identifiers

PMID42367310
PMCPMC13305388

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.