Preventing Repeat ACL Tears in Soccer Athletes: A Crucial Consideration

Name Institutional Affiliations Date Likelihood of a Second ACL Tear in Soccer Athletes Introduction While analyzing the likelihood of a second ACL tear in soccer athletes, it is imperative to note that as much as these athletes continue to engage in soccer-related activities, they have no control over re-occurrence of an injury as this happens as an accident. Then what is an ACL and what is an ACL injury? A knee has ligament on each side (collateral ligaments) and two deep ligaments crossing each other in the inside part of the knee known as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Both ACL and PCL attach on one side to the end of thighbone and on the other to the top of shinbone thus during activity ACL control how far forward the tibia can slide to the femur. In case of too much motion, ACL tears due to sudden pivoting or cutting maneuver during soccer activities and chances of re-occurrence of such injuries remains relatively high even after treatment especially on female athletes as long as they remain exposed to such sporting activities most especially in football, basketball and soccer as explained in three literatures from credible scholars on this topic. Literature Review Background An injury is an injury and the likelihood of a second tear in case of exposures to triggers that caused the first injury remains a reality. In order to understand the likelihood of a second ACL tear in soccer athletes, it is wise to understand the structure of a knee to ascertain whether any injury on it can re-occur in case of continued sporting. A knee is a hinge joint held together by four ligaments that hold the bones together and help control joint motion and movement. The collateral ligaments are on each side of the knee while anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament cross each other deep inside the knee. During sporting activity, ACL controls how far the tibia can slide forward relative to fem