Frequency of anterior cruciate ligament injuries and their risk factors in young athletes attended at the Orthopedics and Traumatology Center of the city of Rosario (Argentina) in the year 2023

Abstract

Introduction: The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most important stabilizers of the knee that prevents anterior translation of the tibia over the femur. ACL injuries commonly occur during sports and are usually caused by sudden stops or changes in direction during running, jumping and landing.Objective: To describe the frequency of anterior cruciate ligament injuries and their risk factors in young athletes attended at the Orthopedics and Traumatology Center of the city of Rosario (Argentina) in the year 2023.Materials and methods: Quantitative, descriptive, observational, cross-sectional and retrospective study, carried out at the Orthopedics and Traumatology Center (COT) from April to September 2023. The population consisted of all patients aged between 18 and 25 years, regardless of sex, who practice high-impact sports on the knee and who consulted for knee injury. The collection instrument was the medical records. The variables were summarized through central position measures (mean) and dispersion measures (range and standard deviation) and expressed in absolute and relative frequency.Results: Thirty medical records were analyzed, of which 100% presented some ACL injury. The mean age was 21.57 ± 2.30 years, 67% were male and 33% female. Regarding the type of injury, 63% presented sprain and 37% tear. Twenty-seven percent played field hockey and rugby respectively, 20% played soccer, 13% basketball, 10% tennis and 3% volleyball. The risk factors associated with ACL injuries found in the studied population were among the intrinsic (50%) the neuromuscular deficit (37%) and genetic risk (13%); while among the extrinsic (23%) were the type of footwear (13%) used and the surface of the field (10%).Conclusions: Patients with ACL injuries evaluated were on average 21.57 ± 2.30 years old with a male: female ratio of 2:1. The most common symptoms were walking instability, edema, swelling, and pain. The most common sports associated with anterior cruciate ligament injuries were field hockey, rugby and soccer. Neuromuscular deficit, genetic risk, improper footwear and unstable field surface were found to be risk factors