Prevalence of Anterior Cruciate Ligaments and Medial Cruciate Ligaments Injuries in Strikers in Football Players

Knee Ligament Injuries in Football Strikers

Abstract

Stability of the knee is greatly supported in football by the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and Medial Cruciate Ligament (MCL). Frequent changes in speed and direction, together with crashes, cause strikers to have increased chances of injuring their tendons and ligaments. Objective: To determine the prevalence of anterior cruciate ligaments and medial cruciate ligaments in strikers in football players. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out for four months across several teams of the 169 men, all were strikers, had least two years of playing experience and a past ACL or MCL injury. Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale used for assessment. SPSS version 26.0 was used for analysis of data. Results: Out of the 169 participants, 57.4% went through an ACL injury, and 38.5% had experienced MCL injury. A total of 63.3% of people had a slight/periodical limp, and 49.1% usually used canes or crutches for walking, as they reported. Out of all the participants, 51.5% scored below 65 in the Lysholm Knee Scoring, 37.9% scored between 65 and 83, 6.5% scored between 84 and 90, and only 4.1% scored above 91. 91.7% of patients displayed symptoms of the right knee. The majority of injuries happened in matches (61.5%), and most of those were semi-contact injuries (45.6%). Conclusion: The study showed that football strikers experienced ACL injuries in 57.4% of cases and MCL injuries in 38.5% of cases. Based on Lysholm scoring, 51.5% of the patients had knee function that was poor, and only 4.1% received excellent scores.