In 2023, Sky Sports reported a 29-fold increase in ACL injuries in teenagers requiring surgery, while FIFA is currently funding a study to discover why female footballers are 6 times more likely than male players to obtain this type of injury.
Searches for “Sports treatment” have risen in London by 20% in the past 2 years, with the capital recording 7,730 searches per month in 2023 increasing to 9,310 in 2025.
For Achilles injuries, a major Scandinavian study reported by the BMJ, found a 21% increase in Achilles ruptures from 2017 to 2021, which followed a prior 26% increase between 2002 and 2012.
As the number of incidents increased, however, medical and sports science have risen to the challenge, finding new ways of repairing the damage, with increasingly reduced recovery times.
The experts at Elanic Medical have shared their insight into the ways in which modern surgical and recovery techniques have helped increase the speed at which athletes, and non-athletes alike, can get back to their prior abilities faster than ever before.
“More and more athletes are being asked to push their bodies to new levels, to meet the demands of their sports. As play becomes more technical and skill levels are elevated, they need to move their bodies in ways which ultimately put a lot more wear and tear on crucial structures like the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)” said Michael Logue of Elanic Medical.
“The good news is that, increasingly, recovery and return to play times are decreasing post-surgery as new techniques have been implemented, and are supported by a better understanding of holistic approaches to recovery pathways.”
Timescales for recovery from ACL and Achilles injuries have reduced in recent years. For ACL tears and ruptures, previously a recovery and return period of 12 months or more was common, and now average timescales are reported as being closer to 8.7 to 10.5 months in total.
“new techniques such as the “BEAR” implant technique for ACL repairs have shown great promise in terms of recovery times, and one of the greater innovations we’re beginning to see is the use of robotics in repair surgeries and recovery.
“Our facilities utilise the VELYS robotic assisted solution when performing knee replacements, but similar technologies such as the TiRobot have been used within ACL repair” said Michael.
Robotic assistant technologies have been shown to reduce recovery times and complications, as they allow for more precise placement of implants, less additional trauma at incision sites and often combine with imaging techniques to allow more tailored surgeries taking into account differences in patient anatomy.
“While this technology has yet to be utilised at scale for Achilles repair, wearable technology such as sensors combined with AI monitoring allow recovery to be more precisely tracked and tailored.”
“Ultimately, as with other fields of medicine and treatment, as time passes, research and innovation bring us more consistent outcomes, reduced recovery timelines and as a result, extended career durations for athletes that otherwise may have had their effectiveness and longevity damaged by these injuries.”
