Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Pediatric and Adolescent Soccer Players: An Analysis of Insurance Data

TLDR

Future ACL injury research in females must consider skeletally immature players. The study reviewed 8,215 soccer injury claims over five years, categorizing them into all injuries, knee injuries, and ACL injuries. Knee injuries comprised 22% of all claims, and ACL injuries accounted for 31% of knee injuries; the youngest ACL injury occurred at age 5, with both knee and ACL injury ratios rising with age and being higher in females than males.

Abstract

Injury claims from an insurance company specializing in soccer coverage were reviewed for a 5-year period. A total of 8215 injury claims (3340 females, 4875 males) were divided into three categories: (1) all injury, (2) knee injury, and (3) ACL injury. Knee injuries accounted for 22% of all injuries (30% female, 16% male). ACL injury claims represented 31% of total knee injury claims (37% female, 24% males). The youngest ACL injury was age 5. The ratio of knee injury/all injury increased with age. Compared with males, females demonstrated a higher ratio of knee injury/all injury and a higher ratio of ACL injury/all injury. This study demonstrates that ACL injury occurs in skeletally immature soccer players and that females appear to have an increased risk of ACL injury and knee injury compared with males, even in the skeletally immature. Future research related to ACL injury in females will need to consider skeletally immature patients.