Girls and ACL Injuries
An ACL is a tiny ligament the size of a pinky that stabilizes the knee. When it ruptures or tears there is usually pain, sometimes a lot, and a sound of a pop so loud other players can sometimes hear it. It requires reconstructive surgery and six to nine months, or more, of rehab.
Some researchers estimate girls rupture their ACL’s at five to eight times the rate of boys and young men. Why the greater rate of injuries in girls, particularly in cutting and pivoting sports that involve the knees and lower extremities – basketball, volleyball, lacrosse and soccer? Theories range from not enough muscle in the right places to pure biomechanics – how girls run as opposed to the way boys run, for example.
Read the full article at canada.com
