| Zusammenfassung | Ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) typically occur in professional football and epidemiological data about
longitudinal injury development is needed. This practice-driven investigation of media-derived ACL data provides
information about professional football over 10 years. Injury registration was based on “kicker” sports magazine
information that have been recorded over one decade in a standardized manner. Only ACL ruptures in the first German
football league were included when they could be verified by a second reliable source. Level of evidence: III. Fifty-seven
primary ACL ruptures were verified in the first German football league during the seasons 2007/2008 to 2016/2017.
Among them, six re-injuries were found. Mean age at the time of injury was 24.8 years (SD 3.8). 31% (n = 20) of ACL
ruptures occurred at the beginning of the season in August or September (p = 0.02). Mean time of RTC after primary
ACL ruptures was 226.7 days (SD: 93.5) and 245.6 days (SD: 45.4) after re-injury. Although 62 (98%) players returned
to football after injury and only one player immediately finished his career, 54.9% of the affected individuals played 3
years after the ACL rupture in the same league. ACL ruptures lead to longer absence than 7 months from football but
does not give reason for immediate career-ending. The decrease in playing level after 3 years illustrate the serious
consequences of ACL ruptures in football. Media-based injury reports may provide interesting information.
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