ACL Reconstruction for Combined ACL/MCL Injuries in Professional Soccer and Rugby Players: No Difference in Career Longevity Compared to Uninjured Matched Controls.
Jones, Mary M; Motesharei, Arman A; Abdul, Wahid W; et al.
This cohort study compared male professional soccer and rugby players who underwent ACL reconstruction with associated MCL injury (operative or nonoperative treatment) to five matched uninjured controls per injured player. About 90% returned to play at ~11.6 months and injured players showed similar 2- and 5-year retention and median career length to matched controls, with injury not associated with increased retirement risk after adjusting for age, sport, and competition level.