In a June 7 article on the website of the Evansville Courier and Press, staff writer Randy Beard described both the prevalence and the potential causes of this unfortunate epidemic:
Dr. Andrew Saltzman, an Evansville orthopedic surgeon ... said noncontact ACL tears are three times more common among women than men and perhaps four times more frequent in basketball. Other studies have estimated that women athletes could be as much as eight times more likely to tear an ACL.Team sports and other organized athletic pursuits have been credited with boosting self-esteem, increasing self-confidence, and decreasing overweight and obesity risks of girls and young women, but Beard's article reinforces the necessity of taking necessary precautions to ensure that the young athletes have a safe sporting experience.
There are numerous physiological reasons why female athletes are believed to be more at risk for ACL tears. It starts with having a wider pelvis and being more knock-kneed than typically more bowlegged men. Muscle structure is another factor. Women tend to have weaker hamstrings, making their quadriceps the more dominant muscle in stabilizing the knee.
Then there are the changes that take place during puberty. Increased estrogen in girls tends to result in more flexible ligaments, but they are protected by less muscle than testosterone-fueled boys.
Labels: girls, athletes, injuries
Posted By: Aspen/CRC
