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, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) says approximately 150,000 ACL injuries happen every year in the U.S. with female athletes two to eight times more likely to tear their ACL than male athletes. In fact, experts say it’s the most common knee injury among women athletes at all levels; from high school and college to the pros. Many sports medicine experts blame the high number of knee …show more content…
Researchers say the way girls and women use their leg muscles during sports and how they land after jumping may be the biggest cause. The athlete’s quad muscles in front of the thigh tend to be stronger and tighten more quickly than her hamstrings. After jumping, women naturally land with their legs straight, at both the hip and knee, which puts more stress on the ACL.
Many athletes who suffer an ACL injury say they felt an intense pop in their knee before the intense pain hit them. The knee will swell and she will not be able to put weight on that leg. Other parts of the knee, including the menisci and the articular cartilage may also be damaged. Even in young people, doctors say the articular cartilage can’t heal, and orthopedic experts say this leads to the arthritis of the knee, often 10-15 years after the injury. Females are not only more likely to develop osteoarthritis after an ACL injury; they also do so sooner after the injury than do males.
Sports medicine researchers at Johns-Hopkins say studies show once an athlete— women or men-- has suffered a torn ACL, the chance of re-tearing it is six times greater. For women athletes, they are 16 times more likely to suffer an injury to their other knee after an ACL
Now, more than 40 years since the passage of Title IX, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) says approximately 150,000 ACL injuries happen every year in the U.S. with female athletes two to eight times more likely to tear their ACL than male athletes. In fact, experts say it’s the most common knee injury among women athletes at all levels; from high school and college to the pros. Many sports medicine experts blame the high number of knee …show more content…
Researchers say the way girls and women use their leg muscles during sports and how they land after jumping may be the biggest cause. The athlete’s quad muscles in front of the thigh tend to be stronger and tighten more quickly than her hamstrings. After jumping, women naturally land with their legs straight, at both the hip and knee, which puts more stress on the ACL.
Many athletes who suffer an ACL injury say they felt an intense pop in their knee before the intense pain hit them. The knee will swell and she will not be able to put weight on that leg. Other parts of the knee, including the menisci and the articular cartilage may also be damaged. Even in young people, doctors say the articular cartilage can’t heal, and orthopedic experts say this leads to the arthritis of the knee, often 10-15 years after the injury. Females are not only more likely to develop osteoarthritis after an ACL injury; they also do so sooner after the injury than do males.
Sports medicine researchers at Johns-Hopkins say studies show once an athlete— women or men-- has suffered a torn ACL, the chance of re-tearing it is six times greater. For women athletes, they are 16 times more likely to suffer an injury to their other knee after an ACL