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. 2025 Jun 9;60(11):806-813.
doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-0487.24. Online ahead of print.

The socio-economic cost of anterior cruciate ligament injuries and lateral ankle sprains in amateur football and basketball

Nikki Rommers  1 , Lieselot Longé  2 , Winnie Debecker  2 , Nikie Peeters  2 , Bruno Tassignon  2   3 , Eva Huysmans  2   4 , Koen Putman  5 , Johan Vanlauwe  6 , David Beckwée  2 , Nicky Van Melick  7 , Christophe Eechaute  2
Affiliations

The socio-economic cost of anterior cruciate ligament injuries and lateral ankle sprains in amateur football and basketball

Nikki Rommers et al. J Athl Train. .

Abstract

Context: Football and basketball are high risk sports for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and lateral ankle sprains (LAS). These injuries have a high recurrence rate and long-term consequences in terms of early-onset osteoarthritis, as well as lack of return to preinjury level.

Objective: To (1) prospectively record the socio-economic costs associated with non-contact ACL injuries LAS in amateur football and basketball, and (2) to determine the association between costsand the degree of implementing preventive neuromuscular training (NMT).

Design: Prospective cohort study Setting: Amateur football and basketball teams were followed-up during one season.

Participants: Cohort of 3221 amateur football and basketball players.

Main outcome measures: All direct and indirect costs of sustained non-contact ACL injuries and LAS were registered until return to play and was described on a player-level. The degree of implementing NMT was documented twice per season. The degree of implementing NMT duringpre-season and mid-season was documented.

Results: The incidence proportion of ACL injuries and LAS was estimated at 0.01 and 0.03 injuries per player season, respectively. Thirty percent of the ACL injuries and 65% of the LAS represented a recurrent injury. The mean total cost per ACL injury and LAS was €6340.7 and €731.6, respectively. Over 90% of the injured players did not implement preventive NMT or implemented it inadequately.

Conclusions: The high costs of ACL injuries and LAS and the observation that preventive NMT is scarcely implemented in amateur football and basketball emphasizes an urgent need for policy makersto focus on injury prevention.

Keywords: ACL; LAS; health care cost; prevention; reinjuries; sport.

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