Contrast between short- and long-term health problems

In professional football, the occurrence during a career of acute, chronic and/or recurrent injuries of the musculoskeletal system (muscles, bones, ligaments) has been worldwide and for decades explored. Especially, studies have shown that many professional football players suffer during either training or competition from injuries involving especially hamstrings, knees and ankles. In contrast, the occurrence of long-term health problems after a professional football career has been scarcely explored. This seems quite peculiar. Indeed, these long-term health problems are likely to influence the sustainable health, participation and functioning in work and daily life until older age, aspects that are essential to a high quality of life! Over the past years, the few studies about that topic have suggested that a professional football career might cause negative long-term health effects, especially osteoarthritis of the knee.

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