Eighty-two per cent of male professional football (soccer) players return to play at the previous level two seasons after Achilles tendon rupture treated with surgical repair. Issue 8 (30th July 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Grassi, Alberto; Rossi, Guendalina; D'Hooghe, Pieter; Aujla, Randeep; Mosca, Massimiliano; Samuelsson, Kristian; Zaffagnini, Stefano
• Is Part Of: British journal of sports medicine. Volume 54:Issue 8(2020)
• Page Start: 480
• Page End: 486
• Publication Date: 2019-07-30
• Subjects: Achilles tendon rupture -- football (soccer) -- professional -- performance -- return to play -- return to sport; Sports medicine -- Periodicals; 617.1027
• DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2019-100556
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-3674

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: To evaluate the time to return to playing following acute Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) and surgical repair in professional male football (soccer) players. Methods: Professional male football (soccer) players who sustained an ATR and underwent surgical repair were identified through internet-based injury reports from January 2008 to August 2018. Only League 1 and 2 players with injuries who had at least 1 year of follow-up from the search date were included. Injury history and time to return to play were retrieved from the public platform transfermarkt.com . For athletes who competed for at least two seasons after returning to play, re-ruptures and number of matches played were reported. Results: 118 athletes (mean age 27.2±7.2 years) were included. 113 (96%) returned to unrestricted practice after a mean of 199±53 days, with faster recovery in players involved in national teams. Return to competition was after a mean of 274±114 days. In the 76 athletes with at least two seasons of follow-up, 14 (18%) did not compete at the pre-injury level during the two seasons following the index injury. Six players (8%) sustained a re-rupture within the first two seasons after return to play; four re-ruptures were in footballers who returned to play <180 days after injury. Age >30 years and re-ruptures had higher odds ratios of not returning to the same level of play. Conclusions: 96% of professional male football players who underwent surgery to repair an ATR returned to unrestricted practice and then competition after an average time of 7 and 9 months, respectively. However, 18% did not return to the same level of play within the two seasons following their return, with a higher risk in those experiencing a re-rupture.