Behavior of Risk Factors for ACL Injury in Amateur Soccer Players

Background: An anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear is a very common injury, especially in individuals who participate in pivoting sports like soccer. Many factors that contribute to the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injuries have been investigated, but there is no consensus among them yet. Purpose: The goal of this study was to note the behavior of femoral intercondylar notch, posterior tibial slope and hip rotation range of motion in male patients with ACL noncontact injury, suffered while practicing soccer. Materials and Methods: We recruited 66 male patients aged 18 to 35 who had suffered noncontact ACL injuries while playing soccer. They were assessed for intercondylar Notch Width Index (NWI), posteriorinferior tibial slope, and internal and external Hip Rotation Range of Motion (HROM). Results: Mean NWI was 0.281(0.033), mean slope was 8.85° (2.26) and the mean sum HROM was 64.8° (10.87). 13.6% of the patients had NWI 0.25, 31.8% had a 10° slope and 60.6% had HROM below 60°. Conclusion: The results of this study may suggest an association between decreased hip rotation range of motion with the noncontact ACL injury. Otherwise, there is no association between both intercondylar notch width and posterior tibial slope with this kind of injury.