ACL Injuries with NFL Players | Orthopedics
If you're at all a sports fan, or an athlete yourself, you've probably heard of the anterior cruciate ligament. It's commonly injured. Now a new study shows what happens to NFL players who are sidelined by their acl's, and it's not good news for players or fans and the owners. Now, a ligament is a strong piece of connective tissue that connects bone to bone across a joint. The anterior cruciate ligament crosses with the posterior cruciate ligament in the center of the knee. They control the backward and forward motion of the knee. The ACL in particular restrains excessive forward motion of the knee as well as the inward twisting or rotation of the knee. In fact, the ACL is frequently injured in severe twisting injuries of the knee or with a sudden stop. This new research in the American Journal of Sports Medicine looking specifically at ACL injuries in NFL players found those who suffer one of these injuries will likely never be the same player again. Essentially, total yards and touchdowns were markedly diminished when they returned after surgery.
Dr. James Gladstone, an orthopedic surgeon at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, says, "They're only playing at approximately 2/3rds of the level they were playing at before the injury." Dr. James Carey, the study author out of Vanderbilt University, says, "It's the first time anyone has used player performance and their statistics to look at the outcomes of a surgical procedure."
Perhaps the most concerning stat is that one fifth--21 percent--of the injured players never played another NFL game. "The predominant thinking when 31 head NFL team physicians were interviewed, is that 90 to 100 percent of players, presuming not borderline talent, return to the NFL," states Dr. Carey. Of those who did return, it took 9 to to 12 months to get back on the field.
"This study gives us pause and says even in the best case scenarios these are players who are going to work their butts off doing rehab 8 hours a day to get back to playing and even then a fifth of them, 20 percent aren't getting back to playing," Dr. Gladstone adds. Interestingly, those who get ACL injuries are more likely to be high-performance players. "They have frequent accelerations, decelerations, twisting, cutting maneuvers, that puts them at the highest risk," according to Dr. Carey.
They're more likely to be injured because they compete in more plays per game, carry the ball longer on each play, and attract more defensive attention. "The biggest problem with an ACL injury is that once it's torn there is no way that it's going to heal or be repaired, except with surgery," says Dr. Gladstone. But those great players end up less great after that surgery. It's believed players don't get back to where they were because of one or more factors, including knee pain, stiffness, loss of strength, deconditioning and reduced proprioception, which is the sense of knowing where your leg is.
Also, ACL reconstruction does not perfectly recreate the complex anatomy and composition of a player's ACL before injury. "They should have reasonable expectations for what they can expect their knee to do and how they can contribute to the team in the future and I think it's important to the fans and the team owners to similarly have those expectations that are realistic," Dr. Carey points out.
Disclaimer
Featured Doctors
Back Pain New York City, New York
Steven S. Moalemi, M.D.
Empire Physical Medicine & Pain Management
551 5th Avenue Ste. 525
New York, NY 10176
Call: (888) 898-7795
Back Pain Doctor Bergen County, NJ
Damon Noto, MD
Spine & Joint Center
777 Terrace Avenue, 4th Floor
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604
Call: 866-385-8138
Hand Surgery Westchester
Lawrence Hospital Center | Orthopediacs & Sports Medicine
Lawrence Hospital Center | Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
55 Palmer Avenue, First Floor
Bronxville, NY 10708
Call: (888) 729-2857
Shoulder Surgery/ Shoulder Surgeon Bergen County, NJ
Roger Pollock
Dr. Roger Pollock, M.D.
suite 202 One West Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus, New jersey 07652
Call: (888) 631-1911
Pinched Nerve Manhattan
Steven S. Moalemi, M.D.
Empire Physical Medicine & Pain Management
551 5th Avenue Ste. 525
New York, NY 10176
Call: (888) 898-7795
Fibromyalgia White Plains, New York
Jonathan Donath
Joint Effort Chiropractic
1241 Mamaroneck Ave
White Plains, NY 10605
Call: 888-543-4224
Lawrence Hospital Center Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Westchester, NY
Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
Lawrence Hospital Center | Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
55 Palmer Avenue, First Floor
Bronxville, NY 10708
Call: (888) 729-2857
Shoulder Replacement New Jersey
Roger Pollock
Dr. Roger Pollock, M.D.
suite 202 One West Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus, New jersey 07652
Call: (888) 631-1911
Orthopedic Reconstruction Surgery Manhattan, NYC
Columbia Center for Shoulder, Elbow and Sports Medicine
www.cses.cumc.columbia.edu
622 West 168 Street, PH11-Center
Manhattan North, NY 10032
Call: 888-687-9022
Pinched Nerve New Jersey
Peter Ferraro, D.C.
Ferraro Spine & Rehabilitation
224 Midland Ave
Saddle Brook, NJ 07663
Call: 888-895-3840
Doc Russ the Betterness® Coach
Russ D'HommeDieu DPT
The Betterness Institute
521 5th Avenue
New York City, NY 10175
Call: 888-4doc-russ
Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy/Speech Therapy Westchester
Outpatient Services | Rehabilitation & Occupational Therapy
Lawrence Hospital Center | Outpatient
55 Palmer Avenue
Bronxville, NY 10708
Call: (888) 245-5611
Medwell Spinal Decompression
MedWell, L.L.C.
MedWell Spine & Neuropathy Center
33 Central Ave
Midland Park, NJ 07432
Call: (888) 820-2250
Upper Back/ Neck Pain White Plains, New York
Jonathan Donath
Westchester Spinal Decompression Center
1241 Mamaroneck Ave
White Plains, NY 10605
Call: 888-543-4224
Lawrence Hospital Center Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Westchester, NY
Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
Lawrence Hospital Center | Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
55 Palmer Avenue, First Floor
Bronxville, NY 10708
Call: (888) 729-2857
Scoliosis Fairfield County, CT
Associates in Family Chiropractic & Natural Health Care, P.C.
156 East Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06851
Call: (203) 242-0165
Spinal Decompression Middlesex County, NJ
Ronald Spiaggia
Performance Rehabilitation & Sports Injury Center
459 Watchung Avenue
Watchung, NJ 07069
Call: 888-897-4870
Optimal Wellness Executive
Optimal Wellness
25 Mountainview Boulevard
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
Call: 888-999-9735
Spinal Stenosis Westchester, NY
Jonathan Donath
Westchester Spinal Decompression Center
1241 Mamaroneck Ave
White Plains, NY 10605
Call: 888-543-4224
Orthopedic Specialist Westchester
Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
Lawrence Hospital Center | Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
55 Palmer Avenue, First Floor
Bronxville, NY 10708
Call: (888) 729-2857
Orthopedic Specialist Westchester
Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
Lawrence Hospital Center | Orthopedics & Sports Medicine
55 Palmer Avenue, First Floor
Bronxville, NY 10708
Call: (888) 729-2857
Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy/Speech Therapy Westchester
Outpatient Services | Rehabilitation & Occupational Therapy
Lawrence Hospital Center | Outpatient
55 Palmer Avenue
Bronxville, NY 10708
Call: (888) 245-5611
Specialities
- Acupuncture
- Alternative Medicine
- Bariatric Surgery
- Breast Cancer
- Breast Surgery
- Cancer Treatment
- Cardiology
- Chiropractic
- Cosmetic Dentistry
- Cosmetic Surgery
- Dentistry
- Dermatology
- Endocrinology
- Facial Enhancement
- Fertility Treatment
- Foot Specialist
- Foot Surgery
- Gastroenterology
- General Surgery
- Geriatrics
- Hair Replacement
- Hematology
- Infectious Diseases
- Infertility Treatment
- Integrative Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- LASIK
- Laser Hair Removal
- Medical Editorial Board
- Medical Spa
- Medical Testing
- Neurology
- Neuropathy
- Nursing Home Services
- Nutrition and Diet
- Obstetrician & Gynecology
- Oncology & Cancer
- Oncology Center
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Orthopedics
- Pain Management
- Physical Therapy
- Plastic Surgery
- Podiatry
- Spinal Decompression
- Spine Surgery
- Sports Medicine
- Stem Cell Therapy
- Thoracic Surgery
- Vascular Surgery
- Vein Surgery
- Weight Loss