What's going on with cruciates?

[AnagRam]

In addition to the problems experienced by our own George Thorne and Will Hughes it's been announced today that Liverpool's Danny Ings and Joe Gomez will both miss the rest of the season with much the same injury. Can't remember this 'epidemic' of cruciate issues, especially where young players are concerned, in the past when the game was arguably slower but more physical. So what's it all down to...boots, studs, playing surfaces, training methods, too much football or something else?

[Oldtimeram]

On my way into Manchester on the train earlier i was thinking the exact same thing.

Back in my day injuries consisted of mainly groin strains , pulled hamstrings, cartilage operations and achilles tendon injuries. Cruciate ligament were very rare. Why they happen so much now I don't know.?

[AnagRam]

Totally agree OTR...don't think I'd heard of a cruciate injury before Jonny Wilkinson and Gazza. In the 60's, 70's and 80's all serious knee injuries seemed to be met with a shake of the head and the dreaded words...'it's a cartilage'...at which point you knew you wouldn't see that player again for another six months. Never seem to hear about cartilages anymore...strange.

[Akwesasne]

It is the same with RSI injuries in the workplace. In cricket it is back problems with fast bowlers and in tennis it is tennis elbow. The human body is being asked to do things which evolution has not designed it to do. Sport always tries to overachieve. It may be great for spectators to watch but a lot of sportsmen must live through hell, even long after they've quit the game.

[AnagRam]

Easier to explain in some other sports though Akwesasne. Cricketers are being asked to play a lot more, virtually a ten month season now...just look at the amount of overs bowled by Anderson in comparison to Trueman or even Botham. God knows how top rugby players survive, especially the front five. Season goes on for ever and the collisions are massive nowadays. Don't know much about tennis, though tournaments now seem to be all year round, but football, if anything has got 'softer' with tacklers like Harris, Bremner, Collins, Hunter and Tommy Smith being virtually outlawed today. May be more football for the top teams, i.e. those involved in Europe, but squads are also bigger so I'm not sure that alone is the answer.