Female athletes are more susceptible to certain types of injuries, including sprains and tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee. Although many theories exist to explain the increased female incidence, one of the more plausible reasons is that girls jump and land differently than their male peers. This pattern may be partly due to the structure of the female body. In addition, experts agree that females tend to use the quadricep muscles in the front of their legs for landing more than the gluteals and hamstrings in the back, which places the ACL in a vulnerable position.
To prevent ACL injuries, the Sports Medicine Program at The Children’s Hospital offers sports metrics classes to help girls learn proper jumping and landing techniques. For more information, call (720) 777-3899.
