Table 4.

Risk factors and consequences of meniscal injuries and variables involved in knee injuries in football

(a) Factors that increase risk of Knee/Meniscal Injuries in Football	(b) Consequences of Meniscal Injuries in Football	(c) Variables involved in knee injuries in sport
Condition of the ground	Loss of time in the sport	Environmental
Lack of warm-up period before play	Impaired efficiency of sport	Ground condition
Not performing particular exercises	Early-onset of OA of knee	Hardness
Position of the player in the field (midfielders)	Higher radiological signs of OA in injured	Dryness
Age of player (14–22 yrs)	Higher rates of TKR in injured	Grass cover
Experience < 10 years of players	MRI showed significant findings even in asymptomatic non-injured athletes	Root density
Low nutritional status of players	Injuries shorten sporting careers	Surface/terrain—snow/water/roughness of ground
Contact injuries	Chondral loss following partial meniscectomy	Weather
Unsupervised players	Partial meniscectomy and further arthroscopies	Winter—snowing/cold
The second half of play		Autumn
Lack of ground watering/softening		Summer
Long cleats in shoes of players		Rainy
Previous injuries to the knee		Player related
Competitive games > training games		Nutritional status of the player
Anabolic steroids		Age of player
Absence from sport > 4 weeks		Fatigue factor (first half vs final half)
Danish, Dutch, and English players		Experience of the player in years
Lateral partial meniscectomy poorer prognosis than medial partial M’ectomy		Supervision
Longer recovery periods for goalkeepers		Position in play (forward vs back)
Lack of Injury prevention programmes		Exercise and warm-up before play
		Type of shoe worn (cleats)
		Previous injuries
		Genetics
		Technique of play
		Type of sport
		Football, Rigby, Soccer, Wrestling, Hockey
		Contact Sport
		Speed of the game
		Impact/loading games
		Lower limb intensive vs upper limb intensive games
		Equipment used for play