Article Text
Abstract
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture in the immediate build-up to a major international competition can preclude an athletes' participation due to the prolonged period of rehabilitation that is typically required after ACL reconstruction. ACL repair is an alternative strategy that has been postulated to confer the advantage of rapid rehabilitation and earlier return to sport. A 33-year-old professional alpine skier sustained a right knee ACL rupture in September 2017. The athlete indicated that she wanted to participate in the 2018 Olympics. Arthroscopic ACL repair and reconstruction of the anterolateral ligament was undertaken. At 3 months, Lachman’s test revealed a hard end point, a negative pivot shift and no side-to-side laxity difference. MRI at 6 and 12 weeks demonstrated a continuous ACL with no intraligament signal change. At 20 weeks postoperatively, she successfully participated in the slalom at the 2018 Olympic Games.
- orthopaedic and trauma surgery
- knee injuries
- ligament rupture
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Footnotes
Contributors VKK and BS-C: substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work or the acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data for the work; drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. CP and AS: drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. All authors have approved the manuscript and its submission to AJSM.
Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Competing interests BS-C is a consultant for Arthrex and receives royalties from Arthrex. AS is a consultant for Arthrex.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
Patient consent for publication Obtained.