Anterior cruciate ligament injury profile in Italian Serie A1-A2 women's volleyball league

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess how anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures with subsequently surgery reconstruction were sustaining during the professional career of women’s’ volleyball players of A1-A2 Italian volleyball league. METHODS: Using an observational study with a retrospective case-series design for ACL ruptures, 125 teams with 1488 players were monitored. Subjects had to report level, role, injury modality, lower limb injured, laterality, period of the season and age. RESULTS: A total of 34 ACL ruptures were reported. Thirty-three (97%) were non-contact and 1 (3%) with contact. Twenty-one (61.7%) occurred in landing from a jump attack, 3 (8.8%) in landing from wall jump, 1 (3%) with apparent contact and 9 (26.5%) in other landing conditions. The most injured knee was the left limb (22, 64.7%) respect to the right limb (12, 35.3%). Fourteen (41.2%) ruptures occurred in spikers, 10 (29.4%) in middle blockers, 6 (17.6%) in setters, 3 (8.8%) in liberos and 1 (3%) in opposite hitters. Nine (26.5%) occurred in pre-season period, 16 (47%) in the first round, 4 (11.8%) in the second round, and 5 (14.7%) during play-off. The average age of the first ACL rupture was 23±3 years. CONCLUSION: We observed that female volleyball players of A1-A2 Italian volleyball league occurred mostly in a left non contact ACL rupture during a landing condition and the spikers were the players most a risk. Therefore, it is desirable that coaches teach players variations of landing in order to avoid possible chronic overloading of ACL.