Lena Oberdorf posted a black-and-white photo of herself on Instagram on Monday, writing, “Until we meet again…” and a broken heart emoji. Last weekend, the 23-year-old FC Bayern Munich midfielder suffered a serious knee injury during a Bundesliga match in Cologne. Diagnosis: A torn cruciate ligament. This is Oberdorf’s second concussion within a period of just 15 months, once again injuring his right knee.
She suffered a cruciate ligament tear in a friendly against Austria in July 2024, keeping her out of action for more than a year and missing both the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and the Women’s Euro in Switzerland last July. Oberndorf was scheduled to return for Germany in the first leg of the UEFA Nations League semi-final against France in Düsseldorf on Friday, 24 October. Instead, he again faces several months of rehabilitation.
Germany striker Giovanna Hofmann and former Germany goalkeeper Merle Frohms also recently suffered cruciate ligament tears. The German FA’s director of women’s football, Nia Kunzer, who suffered four cruciate ligament ruptures during her playing career, called for continued research into the injury to see “what more can be done to prevent it.”
DW answers key questions about ACL tears, which occur frequently in competitive sports but are more common in female athletes.
What is the function of the cruciate ligament?
Both knees have one anterior and one posterior cruciate ligament. They connect the femur to the tibia and stabilize the knee joint during forward and backward, as well as rotational movements. In addition to the cruciate ligament, there are also medial and lateral collateral ligaments and meniscus. [crescent-shaped cartilage discs between the lower and upper thigh bones],
All the ligaments work together to limit extension of the knee so that it does not overextend under normal circumstances. They also restrict rotation of the knee joint and are supported by the joint capsule, tendons, and surrounding muscles. The better developed the stabilizing muscles are, the lower the risk of cruciate ligament rupture.
How does a cruciate ligament tear occur?
If the cruciate ligaments are overloaded by sudden twisting movements, hyperextension or bending the knee to the side, they can tear partially or completely. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is affected ten times more often than the posterior cruciate ligament because it is longer and thinner. Most cruciate ligament tears are so-called non-contact injuries. This means that they occur without external influence or direct contact with the opponent, for example during a foul in football.
Landing on one foot, sudden stops and sudden changes in direction are the most common causes of breakage. The patient usually feels a stabbing pain in the knee. It usually swells a few hours after the injury because the tear causes fluid to accumulate in the joint.
what are the consequences?
Due to pain and swelling the knee usually cannot be moved well, and can only be bent slightly. It hurts when you put weight on it. In addition, due to decreased function of the ligaments the knee joint is unstable – it slips like a drawer when walking. In many cases, the cruciate ligament is not the only structure of the knee that is damaged. External and internal ligaments, meniscus and bones may also be affected.
However, in rare cases, the cruciate ligament can tear without the patient realizing it. This type of cruciate ligament rupture often becomes apparent only later due to damage to the menisci or cartilage in the knee.
How is a cruciate ligament tear treated?
Torn cruciate ligament is treated surgically or conservatively. During the surgery, also known as cruciate ligament plastic surgery, the torn parts of the cruciate ligament are removed and replaced with an implant made from the body’s own tendon material. However, there are also implants made from donor material or synthetic materials. The operation is usually not performed until weeks or months after the injury until the swelling has gone down and the knee can move well again.
In conservative treatment, the knee is initially kept immobile and immobilized with a splint for several weeks. If the ends of the torn cruciate ligament are still in close contact with each other, in rare cases the cruciate ligament may grow back together on its own. However, this does not usually work with the anterior cruciate ligament. The chance is higher with the posterior cruciate ligament, which is shorter and more compact. Conservative treatment always involves targeted training of the muscles around the knee. They should stabilize the knee and thus take over the function of the missing cruciate ligament.
What are the long term consequences of a cruciate ligament rupture?
A tear of the cruciate ligament can cause a change in position in the knee joint, and thus incorrect loading. This applies to both operated and untreated cruciate ligament ruptures, although the risk is higher in untreated cases. The load on the meniscus and joint cartilage increases, which can lead to tears in the meniscus as well as osteoarthritis, the irreversible degradation of the cartilage surfaces in the knee joint that protect the joint. In the worst case, an artificial knee joint will eventually be necessary.
Why are women at greater risk of rupturing the cruciate ligament?
Physically, genetically and hormonally, women have less favorable conditions for ligament health. Because their pelvis is wider, women tend to have a knocked-knee posture, which promotes rupture of the cruciate ligament when associated forces are applied to the knee. Women’s muscles are generally weaker than men’s, which means the stabilization function is also less strong.
Hormones also play a role: In the second half of the menstrual cycle, the sex hormone progesterone softens the ligaments in the female body and increases the risk of cruciate ligament tears. Overall, the risk for women is about twice as high as for men.
How long will you be out with a cruciate ligament tear?
It depends on the severity of other knee joint injuries and the type of sport you play. In the case of a pure cruciate ligament rupture without involvement of other ligaments, bones or menisci, it usually takes six to nine months for you to be able to compete again. Generally, there is nothing to stop you from returning to sports after a cruciate ligament tear has healed.
With proper physiotherapy, you can train on a bicycle ergometer or go swimming about six weeks after the operation. Sports that do not require sudden changes of direction and high force when jumping and landing, such as running, swimming and cycling, can be resumed after six months. In team sports such as football and basketball, as well as tennis and alpine skiing, it usually takes two to three months longer to return. The psychological component also plays a major role as it takes time for patients to trust their healed knee again.
Can you play competitive sports without a cruciate ligament?
This is certainly possible in swimming, running, cycling or other sports with less stress on the knees, but it is not recommended for sports with higher knee stress. Former footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic played six months in 2022 with a torn cruciate ligament, and although he won the Italian championship with AC Milan, he was barely able to train and played only a few minutes at a time. He had surgery at the end of the season.
Former Germany goalkeeper Toni Schumacher suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament at the age of 18 before his professional career, but Schumacher decided not to undergo surgery. He played his entire career (from 1973 to 1996) with ‘wobbly knees’, but this decision cost him severe damage and pain, significantly reducing his quality of life after his career.
This article was originally published in German on April 24, 2024. This was updated on October 21, 2025 to reflect the news of Lena Oberndorf’s latest ACL tear.