Surgical treatment of proximal ruptures of the rectus femoris in professional soccer players.

INTRODUCTION

Muscle injuries are very common in athletes. Depending on the type of sport, muscle injuries represent approximately 9-54% of total injuries. The rectus femoris muscle is very important in specific sports, such as soccer and American football, because it is the muscle involved in movements, such as sprinting and kicking the ball. Therefore, we believe that these disabling injuries need special and prompt treatment to enable athletes to return to their sporting activities.

AIM: The aim of our study is to assess the results of surgical treatment of ruptures of the rectus femoris in professional soccer players by reattachment of the tendon. We identified ten proximal rectus femoris ruptures in professional soccer players belonging to the Spanish Football League.

RESULTS

Mean follow-up was 34.8 months (SD + 28.72). The mean age of the players was 27.4 years (SD + 4.14). In six cases (60%), the tendon was repaired by direct suture with non-absorbable sutures. In four cases, where there had been complete avulsion, bone anchoring sutures were used. There is no consensus regarding the optimal treatment for ruptures of the rectus femoris muscle. There are a few reports in the literature based on isolated experiences of different surgeons.

CONCLUSION

Surgical treatment has a lower recurrence rate in our hands; we believe that surgical treatment is indicated in these cases, for a complete functional recovery for professional soccer players.