PREVENTING ACL INJURIES IN FEMALE ATHLETES

Blog post from our board member Dr. Robert Bacci: Preventing ACL injuries in female athletes – Courtesy of Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy

IN-SCHOOL PREVENTION PROGRAMS MAY BE A VIABLE SOLUTION TO REDUCE THE RISK FOR ACL INJURIES

Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are one of the biggest problems in sports. Approximately 100,000–200,000 ACL tears occur each year in the U.S., and one of the most at-risk populations is adolescents, particularly females. ACL injuries account for about 21% of knee injuries in young athletes, and young females have a two to eight times higher risk for these injuries compared to their male counterparts.

DIFFERENCES IN DEVELOPMENT & BEHAVIORS MAY LEAD TO INCREASED INJURY RISK

There are several reasons for this disparity, including differences in the structure of the knee joint—which is looser and more flexible in females—landing patterns in sports, genetics, and hormonal and neuromuscular differences between males and females. Strength also develops at different times during puberty for females compared to males, which is believed to be another important contributing factor.

To make matters worse, ACL injuries are often not isolated incidents, as they may damage surrounding tissue and increase the likelihood of chronic knee problems like secondary injuries and early osteoarthritis in the future. But the good news is that research suggests many of these injuries can be prevented because about 70% of ACL tears occur without contact. Read more…

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