ArticleBMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation2024
Male football players have better patient-reported outcomes after primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction compared with females.
Article in BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The Role of Psychosocial Factors in Returning to Physical Activity and Sport Among Female Football Players After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Scoping Review.Sports medicine - open · 2026Pooled it
- Sex-Based Differences in Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Are Not Present Three Months After ACL Reconstruction.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Article
- ACL injury in female soccer players: Risk, resilience, and prevention in the modern game.Science progressReview
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSex differences in patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are not well investigated after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in football players. The aim was to study sex differences in player-related factors, ACL injury characteristics and PROs after primary ACL reconstruction in football players.
methodsIn this cross-sectional cohort study a survey was sent to 390 male and 403 female football players who were injured when playing football and had undergone a primary ACL reconstruction in the previous 1-3 years. Player-related factors, ACL injury characteristics, and PROs covering knee function, satisfaction with activity level and knee function, and readiness to return to sport were compared between male and females. The questionnaires International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Evaluation Form (IKDC-SKF), Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), ACL-Quality of Life (ACL-QoL) and ACL-Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) were used.
resultsNinety males (23%) and 283 (70%) females answered the survey, 65 males and 198 females fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Males had returned to football to a higher degree (77% vs 59%, p = 0.008) at any time after ACL reconstruction, but at the time of the survey, an equal number of males and females played football (55% vs 47%, p = 0.239) and had similar activity level according to the Tegner Activity Score (median, 9; interquartile range [IQR], 7, vs median, 8; IQR, 7; p = 0.740). Males were more satisfied with their knee function and activity level and rated higher scores in the IKDC-SKF (mean ± standard deviation, 83 ± 16 vs 76 ± 16, p = 0.006), KOOS Sport/Recreation (79 ± 19 vs 72 ± 22, p = 0.034), KOOS Quality of Life (73 ± 22 vs 64 ± 20, p = 0.008), ACL-QoL (7.6 ± 2 vs 6.8 ± 1.8, p = 0.008), and ACL-RSI (6.7 ± 2.1 vs 5.5 ± 2.3, p < 0.001) than females (all with small - medium effect sizes).
conclusionsMale football players reported more favourable results than females in patient-reported knee function, satisfaction with activity level and knee function, knee-related quality of life and psychological readiness to return to sport 1-3 years after ACL reconstruction. The results contribute to a better understanding of the eventual effect of patient sex on outcomes after ACL reconstruction in football players. However, the clinical importance of these differences is unclear.
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