Avoiding knee Injury

[Bestiarius]

Knee injury is an all too frequent topic of discussion here, but there is little discussion on prevention. Medical folks say the female bone structure is more subject to knee issues than male anatomy. Female hips are wider so the femur comes to the knee at an angle. Muscle strength is also an issue with females. Other theories also exist explaining the high proportion of female knee problems.

So, my questions are, should all female players be wearing some type of device to reduce the potential for knee injuries? Does such a device exist? Do the women do specific exercises to strengthen knees? What kind of research is being done on this topic. Or, is this a lucrative source of income for doctors with car payments due, so there is no rush to solve the problem?

 

[John Glass]

There is a training program that greatly reduces the chances of an ACL injury. My trainer told me she did the training every summer until interest dwindled. Then my first game one of my best players tears her ACL.

 

[ThisJustIn]

there is very little evidenced based research -- I'll let you ponder why.

 

[Outside Shot]

There are many variables that come into play and there is no simple solution. Anatomically, each player can be a bit different and more or less predisposed to injury. Knee braces are often worn by players that have suffered ACLs, but they come with their own set of issues- uncomfortable, limiting, etc. And the edges on braces can potentially gash other players.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Knee braces are often worn by players that have suffered ACLs, but they come with their own set of issues- uncomfortable, limiting, etc.

The other issue with knee braces is that there is no evidence that they prevent the normal kind of female non-contact ACL tear. They work well in protecting the knee from side contact - a typical danger in football - but not for non-contact tears caused by a quick cut or a jump stop. Many players end up wearing them more for psychological reasons than for anything else.

 

[meyers7]

There are many theories on why women have more problems than men. Ranging from anatomy (hips, muscle strength), menstrual cycles, the way women actually jump and land.....

I have read about some teams who work on strengthening the leg muscles. Also some that work on jumping and landing technique. I guess it's similar to having to teach girls how to do layups correctly. Most girls (young) jump off the wrong foot. Boys (young) have the same problem with skipping. They just don't naturally do that.