Female Athletes (ACL Injuries)
Are Women More Likely To Suffer An Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury Than Men? And What Should You Do If You Suffer A Knee Injury?
Are Women More Likely To Suffer An ACL Injury Than Men?
Yes. The evidence suggests that, as a woman, you are between 4 to 6 times more likely to damage your ACL.
Which Sports Pose The Greatest Risk Of ACL Injury?
Any sport that involves rapid changes of direction and/or fast transitions from stationary to mobile is a likely candidate for ACL injury. ACL ruptures are common in football and rugby and particularly high in netball. It is not uncommon for a netball team to have several players tear their ACL each season, which then require reconstruction.
Why Do Women Suffer More ACL Injuries Than Men?
We do know that anatomy plays a part. Additionally, women with a valgus (knock-kneed) knee position and/or hyper mobility (that is, they can bend their knee joint beyond the normal range of motion) place specific stresses on the knee that increase the likelihood of an ACL injury. However, we don’t yet fully understand what those stresses are.
How Can You Help Me?
Prevention is always better than cure. There is emerging evidence that specific training methods may be able to reduce the risk of these injuries.
The Yorkshire Knee Clinic’s orthopaedic consultants are working with local specialist physiotherapists and clubs to evaluate and advise on these methods and reduce the risk of injury.
If you do suffer a knee injury as a result of your sport, however, it’s vital that you seek early and expert assessment.
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