Why Do Female Athletes Have A Higher Risk of ACL Tears and How Can ACL Tears in Women Be Prevented?
Ok, so it's not secret that female athletes have a higher risk of tearing the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. We've all heard stories or known firsthand of college-age women in sports such as soccer, field hockey, and basketball who have had multiple surgeries, yet continue to pursue the dream of becoming a world-class athlete.
Luckily, with current developments in the world of sports medicine, we are often able to get these athletes back on the field quicker than ever. Not only that, but some of these athletes are actually more successful post-surgery then they were before.
As the Head Physician for the U.S. Women's Alpine ski team for almost 20 years, I've had a unique, close-up view of some of the world's top athletes dealing with this injury. And I've repaired a few myself. So I'm going to try to shed some light on the topic here today, as I have many times before.
Great Female Athletes Who Have Bounced Back From ACL Tears
To further educate you on the topic, I've developed a website dealing specifically with ACL tears in female athletes. You can visit that at www.thefemaleacl.com
I'm also going to include three videos here that will shed way more light on the topic. If you have more questions, please reach out to me at teamsterett@vsortho.com
BUT FIRST, HERE'S WHY WE SEE MORE ACL TEARS IN FEMALES
I'm going to explain this in detail in the videos below. But here's a quick review explaining the 5 Differences in the Female ACL when compared to their male counterparts:
Women are more commonly born “knock kneed” which puts the ACL at risk
Women are more commonly loose jointed which puts all ligaments at risk.
The ACL is smaller relative to their body size in women
Females tend to land more straight legged when they jump than men.
Women have monthly hormonal related changes in the stiffness of the ACL that men don’t.
VIDEOS SERIES: WHY DO FEMALE ATHLETES HAVE MORE ACL TEARS
Why Do Women Have More ACL Tears: The Anatomical Reasons #FemaleACL #WomensACLTear
Dr. Sterett breaks down some of the anatomical reasons that women are at a higher risk for ACL and other knee injuries...
How Can Women Avoid ACL Injuries? #FemaleACL #WomensACLTear
Time To Get Surgery: Now What? #FemaleACL WomensACLTear