Are We Jumping to the Wrong Conclusions? Longer Jumps and More Hops in Female Football Players Who Went on to Sustain a Primary or Secondary ACL Injury Compared to Those Who Did Not

BACKGROUND: Different functional performance tests are used to assess patients in the clinic and before return to sport (RTS), where the rehabilitation goal is to reach good strength and jumping ability. A limb symmetry index of ≥ 90% is a common target in rehabilitation before RTS. The aim of this short communication is to use data from our 2-year prospective cohort study on female football players, either with or without an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, to discuss whether hop performance in 3 commonly used hop tests can inform safe football participation, that is, with a low risk for ACL injury or reinjury. METHOD: At baseline, 117 active female football players (mean age ± standard deviation, 20 ± 2 years) were included 19 ± 9 months after ACL reconstruction as well as 119 matched female knee-healthy players (age 19 ± 3 years). All players performed a single hop for distance test, 5-jump test and side hop test at baseline and were then prospectively followed for 2 years. Twenty-eight (24%) players sustained a second ACL injury and 8 (7%) sustained a primary ACL injury. RESULTS: Longer jumps in the 5-jump test (922 cm vs. 865 cm, Cohen’s d = − 0.60) and more hops in the side hop test for both limbs (41–42 hops vs. 33–36 hops, d = − 0.43 to − 0.60) were seen in players who sustained a second ACL injury compared with those who did not. Longer jumps in the single hop for distance test (both limbs) (139–140 cm vs. 124–125 cm, d = − 0.38 to − 0.44), in the 5-jump test (975 cm vs. 903 cm, d = −0.42) and more hops in the side hop test (both limbs) (48–49 hops vs. 37–38 hops, d = − 0.38 to − 0.47) were seen in players who sustained a primary ACL injury compared with those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: The average hop performance, i.e. longer jumps or more hops, was greater in players who went on to sustain a primary or secondary ACL injury compared to those who did not over a two-year follow-up period. Even though hop tests are not used in isolation to evaluate readiness to RTS, their interpretation needs consideration in the decision-making process of returning to pivoting sports. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40798-023-00656-7.