KNEE DEFORMITES IN FOOTBALL PLAYERS – META ANALYSIS

Abstract

In football, the knee joint is one of the most stressed joints during the game itself, especially for professional football players where there are higher physical requirements. Factors such as race, weight, vitamin contribution, metabolic/ hormone disorders, environment and football practice can affect the knee angle. The aim of the study was to determine the impact of playing football on changes in the knee joint. The following electronic databases were used to search the literature: PubMed, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, EBSCO in the period from 2006 to 2019. The sample of respondents included the male participants who played football, who were of different training status and age categories. The studies were included only if there were differences in the angle of the knee – genu varum or genu valgum in football players. Most researchers concluded that there are significant differences in
the knee joint in respondents who played football and respondents who play no sports. The authors believe that the most critical period in which deformities can occur is the period of adolescence, while later this process slows down. People who have played other sports, as well as football players, have an increased risk of developing knee deformities. From the reviewed works, we can conclude that intense physical exercise and frequent competition can encourage the development of deformities.