High prevalence of knee osteoarthritis, pain, and functional limitations in female soccer players twelve years after anterior cruciate ligament injury

Arthritis Rheum. 2004 Oct;50(10):3145-52. doi: 10.1002/art.20589.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) as well as knee-related symptoms and functional limitations in female soccer players 12 years after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Methods: Female soccer players who sustained an ACL injury 12 years earlier were examined with standardized weight-bearing knee radiography and 2 self-administered patient questionnaires, the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score questionnaire and the Short Form 36-item health survey. Joint space narrowing and osteophytes were graded according to the radiographic atlas of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International. The cutoff value to define radiographic knee OA approximated a Kellgren/Lawrence grade of 2.

Results: Of the available cohort of 103 female soccer players, 84 (82%) answered the questionnaires and 67 (65%) consented to undergo knee radiography. The mean age at assessment was 31 years (range 26-40 years) and mean body mass index was 23 kg/m2 (range 18-40 kg/m2). Fifty-five women (82%) had radiographic changes in their index knee, and 34 (51%) fulfilled the criterion for radiographic knee OA. Of the subjects answering the questionnaires, 63 (75%) reported having symptoms affecting their knee-related quality of life, and 28 (42%) were considered to have symptomatic radiographic knee OA. Slightly more than 60% of the players had undergone reconstructive surgery of the ACL. Using multivariate analyses, surgical reconstruction was found to have no significant influence on knee symptoms.

Conclusion: A very high prevalence of radiographic knee OA, pain, and functional limitations was observed in young women who sustained an ACL tear during soccer play 12 years earlier. These findings constitute a strong rationale to direct increased efforts toward prevention and better treatment of knee injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament / surgery
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Knee / diagnostic imaging
  • Knee / physiopathology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Osteoarthritis, Knee / epidemiology*
  • Osteoarthritis, Knee / etiology
  • Pain / epidemiology*
  • Pain / etiology
  • Prevalence
  • Quality of Life
  • Radiography
  • Soccer / injuries*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Time Factors