%0 Journal Article %T Four distinct patterns of anterior cruciate ligament injury in women's professional football (soccer): a systematic video analysis of 37 match injuries %J British journal of sports medicine %D 2024 %A Achenbach, Leonard %A Bloch, Hendrik %A Klein, Christian %A Damm, Theresa %A Obinger, Matthias %A Rudert, Maximilian %A Krutsch, Werner %A Szymski, Dominik %V ePub %N ePub %P ePub-ePub %X BACKGROUND: To identify mechanisms and patterns of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in adult women's professional football by means of video match analysis.

METHODS: ACL match injuries sustained in Germany's first women's league during the 2016-2017 to 2022-2023 seasons were prospectively analysed by three expert raters using a standardised observation form. Epidemiological and injury data, as well as the medical history of ACL tears, were obtained from media reports and the statutory accident insurance for professional athletes.

RESULTS: Thirty-seven ACL injuries sustained in official football matches were included in the video analysis, of which 24 (65%) had associated knee injuries, mainly meniscus and collateral ligament injuries. According to the categorised contact mechanisms, 17 (46%) were non-contact injuries, 14 indirect contact injuries (38%) and six direct contact injuries (16%). Of the 17 non-contact injuries, seven (41%) occurred during the first 15 min of the match. Contact mechanisms did not differ between primary and secondary ACL injuries to the same or the contralateral side. Most injuries (80%) of field players occurred during horizontal movements such as sprinting (n=9, 26%), change-of-direction manoeuvres (n=7, 19%), stopping (n=5, 14%) and lunging (n=5, 14%). Four distinct repetitive patterns of ACL match injuries were identified: (1) non-contact 'pressing ACL injury' (n=9), (2) indirect contact 'parallel sprinting and tackling ACL injury' (n=7), (3) direct contact 'knee-to-knee ACL injury' (n=6) and (4) non-contact 'landing ACL injury' (n=4).

CONCLUSION: Most of the identified patterns of ACL injuries in women's professional football have great potential for prevention.

Language: en

%G en %I BMJ Publishing Group %@ 0306-3674 %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-107113