Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine
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Orthop J Sports Med · Nov 2018
Professional Soccer Players' Return to Play and Performance After Operative Repair of Achilles Tendon Rupture.
The majority of Achilles tendon ruptures are sports related; however, no investigation has examined the impact of surgical repair for complete ruptures on professional soccer players. ⋯ This is the first investigation examining the effect of an Achilles repair on the career of professional soccer players. This is a difficult injury that most commonly occurs in veteran players and prevents 29.2% of players from returning to play despite surgical management. Additionally, athletes able to return to play were found to play fewer minutes 2 years postoperatively compared with their baseline as well as playing less at 1 and 2 years postoperatively compared with uninjured matched controls. The reduction in playing time following an Achilles repair has significant implications for professional players and teams.