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Return to Play Following Meniscal Injuries

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Return to Play in Football

Abstract

Meniscal injuries are frequent in soccer players, and surgical indications are well established in the general population. For high-level soccer players, indications remain similar but with additional specific features linked to the need for a fast recovery. Meniscal repair is critical for tears with high healing potential. Repair results in better long-term clinical outcomes and decreases the osteoarthritis risk relative to partial meniscectomy. However, the reoperation rate is higher than for partial meniscectomy, with the risk to delay return to sport. Even in cases without complication, the rehabilitation time for repair is longer, and the operation remains challenging in many cases. Meniscectomy, in contrast, is a fast and easy procedure with low risk of short-term failure or reoperation. It allows fast recovery and an early return to sport. However, the risk of osteoarthritis at mid- to long term is high. Lateral meniscectomy in particular, particularly in cases with significant resection, results in poorer outcomes and exposes the patient to the risk of rapid chondrolysis. High-level players want a fast return to pre-injury level of play, but they are also a population at risk to develop early osteoarthritis. The therapeutic strategy must consider the immediate career of players and also long-term clinical outcomes. The rehabilitation plan and time required to return to sport depend strongly on treatment choice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopedic Surgery, Centre Albert Trillat – Croix-Rousse Hospital, 103 Grande rue de la Croix Rousse, 69004, Lyon, France

    Cécile Batailler M.D., Elvire Servien, Sébastien Lustig & Philippe Neyret

  2. Department of Orthopaedics, OSU Sports Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Robert Magnussen

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  1. Cécile Batailler M.D.
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  2. Elvire Servien
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  3. Robert Magnussen
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  4. Sébastien Lustig
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  5. Philippe Neyret
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Correspondence to Cécile Batailler M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

    Volker Musahl

  2. Department of Orthopaedics, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Jón Karlsson

  3. Department of Trauma Surgery, University Medical Centre Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

    Werner Krutsch

  4. Santa Monica, California, USA

    Bert R. Mandelbaum

  5. Clínica do Dragão, Espregueira-Mendes Sports Centre, Porto, Portugal

    João Espregueira-Mendes

  6. Orthopaedic Surgery, Aspetar Hospital, Doha, Qatar

    Pieter d'Hooghe

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Batailler, C., Servien, E., Magnussen, R., Lustig, S., Neyret, P. (2018). Return to Play Following Meniscal Injuries. In: Musahl, V., Karlsson, J., Krutsch, W., Mandelbaum, B., Espregueira-Mendes, J., d'Hooghe, P. (eds) Return to Play in Football. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-55713-6_43

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-55713-6_43

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