Prevention of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes. Let us make it easy

Purpose: Women have a much higher rate of anterior cruciate ligament injury than men. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are very expensive as well as physically and emotionally debilitating. Understanding why anterior cruciate ligament injuries are more prevalent in women as compared to men is crucial and addressing these issues to possibly prevent their high occurrence is important. Review of Literature: Hormonal differences, structural differences, musculature differences, and mechanical differences between men and women leave women more susceptible to anterior cruciate ligament injury. While there are many factors contributing to the higher rate of anterior cruciate ligament injury in women versus men, newer research has been devoted to addressing the issues that can be corrected and the discrepancies that can be decreased. Investigators are now taking the results from such research and applying them to women to decrease the occurrence of anterior cruciate ligament injury among this group. Results: Promising outcomes have occurred in neuromuscular and proprioceptive training programs designed to help women strengthen and train the muscles around their knee thus leading to better stabilization and therefore decreasing the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury. Conclusion: Future research should be devoted to finding all of the possible factors of the increased incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury in women and all potential avenues for preventing these injuries should be studied.

Download Full-text

Association Between the Menstrual Cycle and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female Athletes

The American Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/03635465980260050301 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 26 (5) ◽

pp. 614-619 ◽

Cited By ~ 217

Author(s):

Edward M. Wojtys ◽

Laura J. Huston ◽

Thomas N. Lindenfeld ◽

Timothy E. Hewett ◽

Mary Lou V. H. Greenfield

Keyword(s):

Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽

Menstrual Cycle ◽

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury ◽

Female Athletes ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Ligament Injury ◽

Ligament Injuries ◽

Injury Rates ◽

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries ◽

Anterior Cruciate

Anterior cruciate ligament injury rates are four to eight times higher in women than in men. Because of estrogen's direct effect on collagen metabolism and behavior and because neuromuscular performance varies during the menstrual cycle, it is logical to question the menstrual cycle's effect on knee injury rates. Of 40 consecutive female athletes with acute anterior cruciate ligament injuries (less than 3 months), 28 (average age, 23 11 years) met the study criteria of regular menstrual periods and noncontact injury. Details concerning mechanism of injury, menstrual cycle, contraceptive use, and previous injury history were collected. A chi-square test was used to compute observed and expected frequencies of anterior cruciate ligament injury based on three different phases of the menstrual cycle: follicular (days 1 to 9), ovulatory (days 10 to 14), and luteal (day 15 to end of cycle). A significant statistical association was found between the stage of the menstrual cycle and the likelihood for an anterior cruciate ligament injury (P 0.03). In particular, there were more injuries than expected in the ovulatory phase of the cycle. In contrast, significantly fewer injuries occurred in the follicular phase. These hormones may be a factor in the knee ligament injury dilemma in women.

Download Full-text