Infrared thermography-monitored recovery of anterior cruciate ligament rupture in a professional soccer player: A case study

Introduction: Infrared thermography has been used as a non-invasive tool to analyze inflammatory responses in musculoskeletal injuries. However, no study has followed thermal behavior from pre injury to post surgery recovery in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture. Therefore, the

Objective: of this case study was to analyze the use of thermography as a form of pre- and post-ACL injury monitoring in a professional soccer player, tracking thermal changes from the period before the trauma to the first months of post-surgical recovery. Case Presentation: A professional Brazilian first-division soccer player suffered a total ACL rupture of the right knee. Thermographic assessments were conducted before injury (BI), after injury (AI), and during the first (AS1), second (AS2), and third (AS3) postoperative months. Mean temperature asymmetry (MTA) between knees was calculated. Management and Outcome: The athlete underwent ACL reconstruction with autologous patellar tendon graft and standard postoperative medication. Descriptive comparison of the 95% confidence intervals indicated a marked increase in MTA from BI to AS1, followed by a progressive reduction during the postoperative follow-up. By AS3, the partial overlap with the baseline 95% confidence interval suggested a gradual return toward baseline MTA.

Discussion: Thermography allowed monitoring of inflammatory progression and postoperative recovery. This case suggests that temperature asymmetry may be useful to assist monitoring of rehabilitation in elite athletes.