# Innovative Rehabilitation of an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear in a Football Player: Muscle Chain Approach—A Case Study

## TL;DR

This case study presents a successful rehabilitation approach for a football player with an anterior cruciate ligament tear, focusing on muscle chain training to restore full function.

## Contribution

The study introduces a structured, muscle chain-based rehabilitation program tailored to football-specific movements for ACL recovery.

## Key findings

- The player achieved complete functional recovery after a 12-month, phase-based rehabilitation program.
- Exercises focused on step-by-step development of basic and specific physical skills relevant to football.
- The muscle chain approach was effective in restoring movement patterns required for football performance.

## Abstract

Background: The incidence of anterior cruciate ligament ruptures in football has experienced a marked increase in recent years, affecting both professional and amateur players. This injury is characterised by being highly disabling, causing the player to withdraw from the field of play for prolonged periods and there is no clear consensus on how to carry out the different phases of rehabilitation, which poses a major challenge for health professionals. Case presentation: This study followed a semi-professional player who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear following two forced valgus actions without direct contact in the same match. Outcome and follow-up: The patient underwent surgery using an autologous hamstring graft. He followed a progressive rehabilitation programme consisting of one preoperative phase and six phases after the operation. After a 12-month follow-up, with exercises aimed at perfecting step-by-step basic and specific physical skills, the player showed a complete functional recovery, achieving the desired parameters. Conclusions: This case highlights the importance of structured rehabilitation adapted to the specific needs of the football player through an approach with coherent progressions, which considers the muscle chains that determine the movements performed on the football pitch.