Knee injuries are all too common in athletics, and orthopedic surgeons say there’s a growing number of teens and children suffering them, especially torn ACLs. The ACL or the anterior cruciate ligament connects the thigh bone to the shin bone, and it also helps stabilize the knee.
Now, more than 40 years since the passage of Title IX, research shows girls are more likely than boys to suffer a torn ACL. In fact, experts say it’s the most common knee injury among women athletes at all levels; high school, college and professional. Orthopedic surgeons say female athletes most likely hurt their knees when they plant and twist their leg, such as when playing soccer, or landing that jump shot.
Sports medicine experts say the large number of athletes with knee injuries has to do with over-training and excessive stress on the knee joint during growth stages when the bones and soft tissue are not fully mature. With so many young athletes sidelined with ACL injuries, more parents, coaches, doctors and physical therapists are now looking for ways to prevent them. …show more content…
Many experts say the way girls and women use their leg muscles during sports, and how they land after jumping may be the biggest cause. The muscles in front of the thigh that help to straighten the knee (the “quadriceps”) tend to be stronger and tighten more quickly than the muscles in back of the thigh that bend the knee (the “hamstrings”) females. Females naturally land from jumps with their legs straight, at both the hip and knee. All of these put more stress on the ACL. Physical therapists and coaches need to teach athletes better exercises that will correct
Now, more than 40 years since the passage of Title IX, research shows girls are more likely than boys to suffer a torn ACL. In fact, experts say it’s the most common knee injury among women athletes at all levels; high school, college and professional. Orthopedic surgeons say female athletes most likely hurt their knees when they plant and twist their leg, such as when playing soccer, or landing that jump shot.
Sports medicine experts say the large number of athletes with knee injuries has to do with over-training and excessive stress on the knee joint during growth stages when the bones and soft tissue are not fully mature. With so many young athletes sidelined with ACL injuries, more parents, coaches, doctors and physical therapists are now looking for ways to prevent them. …show more content…
Many experts say the way girls and women use their leg muscles during sports, and how they land after jumping may be the biggest cause. The muscles in front of the thigh that help to straighten the knee (the “quadriceps”) tend to be stronger and tighten more quickly than the muscles in back of the thigh that bend the knee (the “hamstrings”) females. Females naturally land from jumps with their legs straight, at both the hip and knee. All of these put more stress on the ACL. Physical therapists and coaches need to teach athletes better exercises that will correct