Aim: To ascertain ACL injury incidence, severity (injury burden) and patterns (contact/non-contact and reinjuries) in a professional male football league in the Middle East over five consecutive seasons.
Methods: Prospective epidemiological study reporting ACL injuries in professional male soccer players in the Qatar Stars League, with complete matches/training exposure over five seasons (2013-2014 to 2017-2018), corresponding to 2243 player seasons and 729 team months.
Results: 37 complete ACL ruptures occurred in 37 players during 486 951 hours of player exposure. The overall ACL injury rate was 0.076 injuries/1000 hours of exposure (season range 0.045-0.098). Injury incidence during matches and training was 0.41 and 0.04 injuries/1000 hours of exposure, respectively. Match injury incidence was greater than that of training (OR 11.8, 95% CI 6.21 to 23.23, p<0.001). Average injury-related time-loss following ACL injury was 225 days±65 (range 116-360). Overall injury burden was 16.3 days lost/1000 hours of exposure.
Conclusion: The overall ACL injury rate in professional male soccer players competing in the Middle East was 0.076 injuries/1000 hours of exposure, match injury incidence was greater than training, while the average ACL time-loss was 225 days.
Keywords: epidemiology; injuries; knee ACL; prevention; soccer.