An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is one of the most serious injuries for an athlete, with significant consequences for both sporting and social well-being. During the 2023 Women’s World Cup, this topic received a great deal of attention because more than a full team of players were absent due to an ACL injury. Besides football, skiing is another sport with a high risk of such injuries.

Women at Higher Risk
Possible causes of ACL injuries include a strength imbalance between the quadriceps and hamstrings, instability in the knee joint, incorrect movements, knee valgus, playing on artificial turf, poor footwear, and fatigue. Research in Australia shows that the number of ACL injuries has increased by approximately 7 percent per year over the past twenty years. In girls up to 14 years old, this was even 10.4 percent per year, and in women over 45 years old, 8.6 percent. It is striking that the number of other knee injuries remained virtually the same or even decreased during the same period. Women are at greater risk of an ACL injury than men, possibly due to differences in anatomy, a greater knee valgus (inward knee position), and the influence of the hormone cycle. The increase in the number of female soccer players may also contribute to this trend.

.. read more on how to prevent and recover from an ACL injury on our Blog:

https://fieldpower-training.com/prevention-and-rehabilitation-of-acl-injuries/