A crack in the knee, a pop or even a loud bang. That moment when you realize that something has happened.
It's not pretty seconds. The fluctuation between hope and fear. What is broken? Hopefully it won't be a torn cruciate ligament!
Lucas Hernandez and his teammates from the French national team were also very anxious - and finally came to an abrupt end. A few hours after the opening game between the French and Australia, the confirmation came:
For soccer world champion Hernández, the World Cup in Qatar has ended prematurely — and FC Bayern Munich will also probably have to do without the defender for a long time.
As the French association announced the night after the game, Hernández suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the 4-1 victory.
Everyone affected is familiar with this feeling. Not a good thing, that's for sure. But what now? First of all, it is important to refrain from sporting activity immediately. An easy to remember basic formula before there is certainty about the injury is the “PECH rule”: pause. ice cream. Compression high camps.
Even if you follow these steps, you will experience initial symptoms. Swelling forms in the knee, which restricts freedom of movement. As a result, the joint can no longer be completely stretched.
Acute pain occurs, which initially disappears and can be felt again with further exertion. A bruise may slowly form.
Once the diagnosis of cruciate ligament rupture has been made and the first shock has been digested, the next shock must be processed. Once again, bad thoughts come through your head.
Can I ever get back on the soccer field? Is my career now over?
In today's blog post, we'll show you what downtime you can expect and finally answer the question of all questions: surgery or conservative treatment?
Unfortunately, a torn cruciate ligament in soccer is not uncommon, but one thing can be said based on experience:
No, the career is not over! Not necessarily, at least.
However, it is clear that you have a long break ahead of you. Football is out of the question at first.
According to available data, the average downtime in professional soccer is eight months. In the amateur sector, recovery takes correspondingly longer due to the often less intensive rehab. A healing period of up to one year is not uncommon.
During this mentally and physically difficult time, there will be a setback or two. It is also hard to avoid surgery for young people and athletes if you want to restore your freedom of movement as much as possible. This applies to both the amateur and the professional.
“A conservative return to soccer, i.e. without surgery, is ruled out in most cases,” says Professor Dr. Stefan Hinterwimmer (OrthoPlus Munich) in his interview with B42. He is a renowned specialist in the field of cruciate ligament injuries in soccer, with whose help a number of top athletes have made it back on the pitch.
Nonetheless, successful regeneration is also possible without surgical intervention. There are examples of conservative treatment methods from the soccer Bundesliga.
And especially for amateur players who willingly expose themselves to less stress, surgery may not always be necessary. In the end, there is no patent recipe. Each cruciate ligament injury is very individual and must therefore be considered separately.
Maybe the post will give you”Cruciate ligament rupture — surgery or conservative treatment? ” a small decision-making aid.
How do you after a torn cruciate ligament Get fit again quickly
No matter which decision you should make, the most important thing is intensive and disciplined rehab.
Patience is an essential factor during this long break. Affected players who return too quickly often suffer another cruciate ligament injury.
In order to support you during this lengthy and arduous period, we have our area Comeback training developed. This allows you to work on your comeback every day via app.
Together with experts from competitive sports, we transport professionals' rehabilitation training to the amateur sector. We have compiled this know-how for you and packaged it in a guide. Here are many tips that could be helpful for the following knee joint injuries:
Of course, the top priority for athletes is to avoid serious injuries.
Based on many experiences, there are now a number of training options to prevent knee lessons. A cruciate ligament rupture is often caused without direct contact with opponents.
“The anterior cruciate ligament is the structure for stabilizing the knee against displacement and twisting. In the case of a crack, that is exactly what happens: simultaneous displacement and twisting. Usually without direct influence from the opponent when landing after a jump or a sudden change of direction,” Dr. Hinterwimmer describes in B42.
If the body is not sufficiently prepared for the rapid and often unexpected movements, there is often this bang, this cracking, which so permanently penetrates the memory of those affected.
In order not to have to experience this terrible feeling in the first place, there are some suggestions and tips.
A crucial component of prevention is the specific Training for changes of direction.
According to statistics, soccer players complete around 700 changes of direction per game. Improved agility therefore makes a decisive contribution to preventing serious knee injuries.
It is important to note that you not only train acceleration, but above all deceleration. Because it is precisely here that the knee, ankle and hip must withstand great forces. The risk of overload increases many times over.
By the way, balanced training is not negligible even in the first few days after the injury. This applies both to surgery and to conservative treatment.
Because: The better the condition of the muscles and the tendon-ligament apparatus, the faster the rehabilitation process.
In addition, orthopedic surgery is always associated with a loss of strength and functionality; the initial level decisively determines the condition afterwards.
You can find out what you can do about this in the article “Prehabilitation.”
Of course, even the most exemplary prevention is no guarantee that a cruciate ligament rupture will be avoided. It is not for nothing that the rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee is one of the most common serious injuries in soccer.
However, targeted prevention certainly reduces the risk. Should there still be a loud bang, be aware:
You're not alone!
Many specialistsinterior and physiotherapistInternally, they specialize in such injuries. Experience in the area of knee ligament injuries is extensive. Although a full recovery is laborious, it is by no means ruled out.
We hope to be able to provide you with a small guide here to find important tips at every stage before or after the injury.
Be fearless. Be focused. B42
How do you after a torn cruciate ligament Get fit again quickly