title: Anterior cruciate ligament and meniscal injuries in sports: incidence, time of practice until injury, and limitations caused after trauma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the incidence of ACL and meniscal injuries in a population of recreational and elite athletes from Brazil and the relation of these injuries with their sports activities.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective observational study of 240 patients with ACL and/or meniscal injuries submitted to surgical treatment. Data of patients and sport modality, as well as Tegner score were registered in the first clinical evaluation. The patients were divided into three groups: (1) isolated rupture of the ACL; (2) ACL injury associated with meniscal injury; (3) isolated menisci injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of the patients belonged to group 1 (44.58%), followed by group 2 (30.2%) and 3 (25%). Most patients were soccer players. The mean time from sport practice to injury in group 1 was 17.81 years. In group 2, it was 17.3 years, and in group 3, 26.91 years. Soccer athletes presented ACL injury in 0.523/1000 h of practice and meniscal injury in 0.448/1000 h of practice. Before the injury, the mean Tegner score obtained for groups 1, 2, and 3 were 7.18, 7.34, and 6.53, respectively. After knee injury, those values were 3.07, 3.18, and 2.87, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Soccer was the sport that caused the majority of lesions, regardless the group. Furthermore, patients from groups 1 and 2 had less time of practice prior to the injury (17.81 and 17.3 years) than the patients of group 3 (26.91 years). Women presented a higher risk to develop ACL and meniscal injuries in 1000 h of game/practice. Running, volleyball, and weightlifting are in ascending order of risk for ACL and/or meniscal injury. Regarding the return to sport practice, the efficiency of all athletes was impaired because of the injury.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Diego Costa
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Astur
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xerez
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rozas
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro Vargas
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Debieux
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Eduardo
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Franciozi
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Moises
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cohen
keywords: Anterior cruciate ligament; Meniscus; Soccer/injuries; Sports medicine