KNEE INJURIES IN FEMALE SOCCER PLAYERS: A FOCUS ON THE ACL
Knee injuries are extremely prevalent in high pivoting sports such as soccer, with non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries being the most common. Female athletes are up to eight times more likely to experience ACL injuries compared to males. The purpose of this study was to investigate...
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| Language: | en_US |
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The University of Arizona.
2016
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10150/613415 http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/handle/10150/613415 |
| Summary: | Knee injuries are extremely prevalent in high pivoting sports such as soccer, with non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries being the most common. Female athletes are up to eight times more likely to experience ACL injuries compared to males. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible reasons why females are so much more likely to experience ACL injuries and identify methods which can be used to prevent such injuries. A review of textbooks and articles regarding the anatomy and biomechanics of the knee was conducted followed by a review of articles on the topic of anatomical, biomechanical, neuromuscular, and hormonal differences between males and females. This investigation identified multiple risk factors under each category which place females at an increased risk of ACL tear. A later review of the diagnosis and treatment showed that ACL injuries are the most well understood of the major ligament tears which occur in the knee. Treatment options include non-operative methods and surgical methods, depending on the patient and extent of the injury. Finally, a review of the literature regarding prevention programs demonstrated that it is possible to decrease the risk of ACL injury in females through neuromuscular and biomechanical training. |
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