Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are one of the most common knee injuries in female athletes. Studies show women and girls are at particularly high risk for injuries, with rates of ACL tears in women up to eight times higher than in men. With careful training, women athletes can avoid many ACL injuries—but when those injuries happen, expert management is needed to help the player regain her full strength and mobility.
At Summit Orthopedics in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, our team of orthopedic experts and women’s sports medicine specialists diagnose and treat the full spectrum of injuries and conditions that come with athletic lifestyles. We partner with you to design personalized treatment plans that safely and effectively accelerate your recovery, so you spend less time in the doctor’s office and more time getting back to your active life.
Why Are ACL Tears More Common in Women?
Research shows that women are at increased risk of tearing their ACLs. But why? Orthopedics experts believe one of the risk factors could be an imbalance of the muscles in the legs. Women’s quadriceps tend to be stronger than their hamstrings. The shape and size of the female knee and the way women land when they jump could also be factors for the increased risk.
Greater range of motion in women athletes’ joints, as well as relatively less muscle mass, can also make joints less stable. As a result, ligaments may be more prone to tear.
The menstrual cycle may also play a role. Changes in hormone levels might make the ligaments looser, raising the chances of injuring the ACL.
Preventing ACL Injuries
Preventive exercise programs have proven effective in averting ACL injuries. Athletic trainers or physical therapists can recommend workout strategies to address imbalances in the thigh musculature that controls the knee. With careful training, female athletes can lower their risk of ACL injury to that of male athletes.
For men and women athletes alike, avoiding an initial ACL injury can also help prevent future injuries.
What Causes ACL Tears?
ACL injuries can be sprains, partial tears or complete tears, also known as Grade 1, 2 or 3 sprains. An ACL tear often happens when playing sports, but you don’t have to be an athlete to damage your ACL. Around 1 in every 3,500 people in the U.S. will experience ACL injuries this year.
Tears of the ACL typically occur in a non-contact fashion, such as quickly changing directions to dodge a defender in soccer or landing after a basketball layup. The sudden force from a twist or landing may cause the ligament to tear. Being hit on the side of the knee, overextending the knee, and a sudden stop to running can also cause an ACL tear. If your ACL is torn, you’ll definitely know something is wrong. You might feel your knee give out or hear a popping sound.
Other symptoms of an ACL injury include:
- Difficulty walking or standing
- Feeling like your knee is unstable
- Loss of range of motion
- Pain
- Swelling
How are ACL Tears in Females Treated?
For men and women, treatment for ACL tears typically includes physical therapy to help develop muscle, build strength and flexibility, and promote injury prevention. Anti-inflammatory medications are used to manage the pain, and in many cases, surgery is performed to repair the tear. But surgery isn’t always the answer.
When they discuss ACL tear repair with a patient, sports medicine physicians consider age, activity level and athletic goals. Patients who aren’t competitive athletes may recover well with physical therapy. People whose knees undergo regular stress from jobs or hobbies, or those who engage in competitive or high-intensity sports, may choose surgery to help them return to peak performance levels.
The Summit Orthopedics Way
There’s a benefit in working with a sports medicine specialist who understands how the ACL tear mechanism in women is different than in men. At Summit Orthopedics, we guide women athletes to be more intentional about achieving balance in the thigh musculature that controls the knee.
We take a conservative, nonsurgical approach first whenever possible. If your knee injury is more serious, or when other common measures fail to give you relief, your specialist will discuss the next steps. Together, you can determine whether surgery is the right plan.
From meniscus tears to ACL reconstructions and complex total knee replacements, the knee surgeons at Summit Orthopedics have the advanced training and expertise to provide consistently impressive outcomes.
Schedule your appointment with a knee specialist at one of our convenient clinic locations in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Summit Orthopedics’ sports and active medicine experts share the insights on ACL injury in female athletes and ACL injury prevention that they’ve gained from research and their years caring for athletes and people with active lifestyles. Featuring sports medicine specialists now retired Peter Daly, MD; Eric Khetia, MD; and Jack Skendzel, MD.
