Landing Risks and Female ACL Tears
In sports that involve jumping, the knee is subject to a set of unique factors that increase the risk of injury. This is especially true when it comes to the female ACL.
Here are how those risk factors relate to our female athletes and contribute to their higher rates of ACL injuries.
Female ACL Tear Risk Factors
Numerous studies indicate that women tend to land from a jump differently than their male counterparts. This is a dominant factor in the higher ACL tears rate among female athletes.
When landing, women tend to do three specific things that put them at greater risk of knee ligament damage. This includes:
Land with straight knees: This is true for any sport that involves jumping, from basketball to skiing. However, combining this landing position with the female predisposition towards hyperlaxity (loose joints) and being knock-kneed is a setup for an ACL to just "snap."
Land Flat-Footed: While males tend to land with bent toes, females, across all sports, frequently land with their feet straight. A flat-footed landing, combined with straight knees, caused more pressure to be placed on the knees.
Land with knees curving inwards: The ideal landing position is for the knees is for the kneecap to land pointed over the second toe. Since females are anatomically more knock-kneed, their knees tend to collapse inwards as they land.
After learning about the anatomical and technical risk factors, here's how female athletes can avoid them.
Strategies to Avoid ACL Tears in Female Athletes
Dr. Sterett and his team at Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery recently conducted a study on why females had a greater risk of tearing the ACL during landing. What Dr. Sterett and his team found was that it all related to their energy absorption strategy.
Here are the key points of the study:
Females used more ankle and hip joint range of motions and maximum joint angular velocities compared to males.
Females also displayed higher peak powers and energy absorption from the knee extensors and ankle plantar-flexors compared to the males.
The knee is the primary shock absorber for both genders. However, the ankle plantar-flexors muscles were the second largest contributor to energy absorption for females while the males utilized the hip extensors muscles.
Based on the data, Dr. Sterett makes two recommendations for mitigating the risk of ACL tears in female athletes:
Jump and land in a more flexed position
Keep the kneecap over the second toe
Above all, think of landing with your knees bent
Doing so can help to protect the ACL from damage.
Knee Pain? Contact Dr. Sterett, the Female ACL Expert
If you are experiencing knee pain from a torn ACL, contact Vail Valley's orthopaedic knee expert. Dr. Sterett and his team will work with you to diagnose your issue and recommend a treatment plan that gets you back to doing the activities you love.
Contact our offices at (970) 476-7220 and make your appointment today! Urgent care and same-day appointments often available.
