ACL Injuries

More than 200,000 US cases per year. ACL injury is usually a non-contact injury that occurs when an individual stops suddenly or plants his or her foot hard into the ground (cutting). ACL injury also has been linked to heavy or stiff-legged landing; the knee rotating while landing, especially when the knee is in an unnatural position or bent inward.  Significantly, many ACL injuries occur in athletes landing flat on their heels. Women in sports such as football, basketball, soccer, gymnastics, and tennis are significantly more prone to ACL injuries than men. The discrepancy has been attributed to gender differences in anatomy, general muscular strength, reaction time of muscle contraction and coordination, and training techniques.

Gender differences in ACL injury rates become evident when specific sports are compared. A review of NCAA data has found relative rates of injury per 1000 athlete exposures as follows:

• Men's basketball 0.07, women's basketball 0.23

• Men's lacrosse 0.12, women's lacrosse 0.17

• Men's football 0.09, women's football 0.28

 

The highest rate of ACL injury in women occurred in gymnastics, with a rate of injury per 1000 athlete exposures of 0.33!  Of the four sports with the highest ACL injury rates, three were women's – gymnastics, basketball and soccer.

According to recent studies, female athletes are two to eight times more likely to strain their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in sports that involve cutting and jumping as compared to men.

Studies show that exercises to strengthen leg muscles and learning how to land and cut will lower ACL injuries 70%. 

 

 

 Here is a video on how to tell if you are at risk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPa2juzLr-w

 

Here is a video of example of tearing injury to ACL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r37ZTjmkKw&t=8s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAzUp_YLVIM

 

Here are some videos of exercises you can do to lower your chances of injury.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgovMYF8Mig

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lag8uNU6AQ

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb_boG53efg

 

http://kinectmd.com/injury/

 

Down load very good video of exercises.

http://smsmf.org/

 

As the videos will show you, try to keep knees in line and not bent inward "Valgus".

 

 

 

 

A lot of the exercises are with hip control and strength because poor hip control causes knees to come inward.

 

 

 

 

Learning to land correctly is important.