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Women have more ACL injuries than men
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Girls playing soccer, iStockphoto.com
In light of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, I believe it is important to briefly discuss that females are 2-4 times more likely to have sports-related a ACL injury than males. This is largely due to an increased Q-angle ("quadriceps angle") in females, mainly because females have a wider pelvis, which will inadvertently put increased stress on the knee.
Because of the increasing prevalance of ACL injuries in females, trainers, doctors, and other sports-medicine professionals are looking for ways to help reduce ACL injuries in women:
- Orthodics can help reduce over-pronation in the feet and thus reduce the stress on the knees.
- Strengthening the hip stabilizer muscles as well as the "inner quad" (VMO) can also aid in increased forces seen in high-impact sports (i.e. soccer, basketball, etc.)
- Stretching tight muscles (especially the inner thighs, hamstrings, and calves) can facilitate proper muscle function.
If you or you have a daughter that participates in sports that involve a lot of cutting and/or twisting, I recommend seeking the advice of a professional coach, trainer, or sports-medicine professional to get an appropriate conditioning program.
