Orthopedic surgeon about Hartman’s injury: “Anterior cruciate ligament most likely…

Quilindschy Hartman has been out for months with a serious knee injury. He suffered that injury on Sunday against FC Utrecht, when the Feyenoord left back caused a penalty and misstepped. RTV Rijnmond spoke to two sports medicine specialists about the situation surrounding Hartman.

Because football clubs are no longer allowed to disclose the exact diagnosis due to privacy legislation, it remains a guess what exactly is wrong with Hartman. The club did announce that it is a serious knee injury and that he will therefore miss the start of the new season. In other words: a recovery of at least five months.

“It is a strange moment for an anterior cruciate ligament rupture, but it is the most plausible option. Perhaps it is only the inner ligament that is torn, then it might just be possible with five months of recovery,” the specialists say. With an anterior cruciate ligament injury, the recovery time quickly increases to nine months, which would mean that he will only be able to return to action after the winter break of the new season.

Anterior cruciate ligament
Rien Heijboer, orthopedic surgeon at Erasmus MC and a doctor associated with Feyenoord and the Dutch national team, talks about the function of the anterior cruciate ligament. “The anterior cruciate ligament controls the sliding of the lower leg relative to the upper leg forward, the posterior cruciate ligament does this the other way around. If the cruciate ligament tears, it is like an elastic band that snaps,” says Heijboer, who explains why it is difficult. to return to the same level as before the injury.

“The anterior cruciate ligament is not only a ligament that provides stability, but it also contains nerve endings that contribute to coordination. Stability is not even that big of a problem, because the operation is aimed at preventing you from passing out during quick turns.” your knee drops. You cannot fully regain more complicated mechanisms, such as coordination. Everything you can do with an intact cruciate ligament becomes more difficult after a reconstruction,” says the surgeon.

Difference with posterior cruciate ligament
It is known that you have to watch for a long time when you sustain a cruciate ligament injury. Yet there is a big difference between tearing your anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, says Heijboer. “The posterior cruciate ligament is less likely to require surgery because it can have a natural recovery.” This is not the case with the front. The surgeon at Erasmus MC explains how surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament works. “A tendon from, for example, the hamstring is placed to replace the cruciate ligament. After the operation, the body itself converts it into a new cruciate ligament and that is why recovery takes so long.”

“Exercise is important in the beginning. Full stretching and bending. Training the thigh muscle to protect the knee and then slowly moving to sport-specific things such as running, then twisting and turning, then jumping and landing and finally with the ball. Of course, caution is required during the recovery process,” Heijboer said. “Anything that could pose a risk of a new tear should be avoided in the recovery process.”

Risks of not operating
Recovering without surgery is also possible, but according to Heijboer this is full of risks. “If you try without surgery, then you are trying to see what is possible. It is not impossible, but if your knee still gives out after six months, you will wonder why you did not have the operation. Even without surgery you still need three to four months for recovery. With an operation you have more certainty, but then you will be out for longer.”