More Surgeries Track With Poorer Knee Function in Retired Women Soccer Players
A survey of 560 retired elite women soccer players links more surgeries with poorer knee function, highlighting joint health after competition.
Summary
Protecting knee function may help women remain active after competitive soccer. Researchers surveyed 560 retired elite women players, mostly former collegiate athletes, about surgeries, joint function, and activity levels. Players averaged one surgery during their careers and half a surgery after retirement. The knee was the most common surgical site, with ligament reconstruction, especially ACL reconstruction, prominent during playing careers. More surgeries were associated with poorer knee function, and poorer knee function was associated with lower activity levels. However, these relationships were weak or moderate. The study cannot show that surgery caused worse outcomes; underlying injuries could explain the associations. The findings highlight injury prevention and continued joint assessment after retirement, but they do not establish which preventive strategies work best. This summary is based on the abstract only.
Detailed Summary
Keeping knees functioning well can help athletes stay active long after competition ends. A study of retired elite women soccer players links a greater number of surgeries with poorer knee function, highlighting joint preservation as an important part of maintaining physical capacity after an athletic career.
Researchers analyzed anonymous online survey responses from 560 retired players, mostly White former collegiate athletes. Participants reported operations during and after their careers and completed questionnaires measuring knee function, activity levels, and physical and mental health. Because all information was collected at one time, the study examined associations rather than tracking changes prospectively.
Players averaged one surgery during their careers and half a surgery after retirement. The knee was the most commonly reported surgical site, at 39% during careers and 24% afterward. Foot and ankle operations were next most common. Career knee procedures most often involved ligament reconstruction, primarily the anterior cruciate ligament, followed by meniscus and cartilage surgery.
More surgeries during and after soccer careers were associated with poorer reported knee function. Poorer knee function was also associated with lower activity levels. These relationships were weak or moderate, not strong. The findings support attention to injury prevention, consistent participation in prevention programs, and continued assessment of knee function after retirement. They do not establish which prevention strategy works best.
Importantly, surgery itself cannot be blamed for worse outcomes: athletes needing more operations may have sustained more severe injuries. The survey cannot establish cause and effect, and recalled surgical histories may be inaccurate. Its largely White, collegiate sample also limits how broadly the results apply. This summary is based on the abstract only; detailed statistical adjustments and correlation estimates were unavailable. For clinicians and former players, the practical message is to monitor persistent knee problems and preserve comfortable movement without assuming necessary surgery was harmful.
Key Findings
- Among 560 retired elite women soccer players, the average was one career surgery and 0.5 surgeries after retirement.
- The knee was the most commonly reported surgical site: 39% during careers and 24% after retirement.
- More career and post-career surgeries correlated with poorer knee function; associations were weak or moderate.
- Poorer knee function correlated with lower activity levels, supporting attention to joint function after retirement.
- The findings do not show that surgery causes poorer function or that avoiding necessary surgery improves outcomes.
Methodology
This cross-sectional study analyzed an anonymous online survey from a previously published cohort of 560 retired elite women soccer players. Researchers correlated self-reported surgical counts with SANE joint-function scores, UCLA activity scores, and PROMIS-10 physical and mental health measures collected in the same survey.
Study Limitations
This summary is based on the abstract only; exact correlation coefficients and detailed adjustment methods were unavailable. The cross-sectional, self-reported survey cannot establish causality and may be affected by recall bias and underlying injury severity. The mostly White, former collegiate sample limits generalizability to other athletes and the broader population.
Enjoyed this summary?
Get the latest longevity research delivered to your inbox every week.
Enter your email to subscribe: