G e r h a r d R u e d l , P a t r i c k P l o n e r, I n g r i d L i n o r t n e r, A l o i s S c h r a n z , C h r i s t i a n F i n k , R e n a t e S o m m e r s a c h e r, To m a s Wo l d r i c h , We r n e r N a c h b a u e r, E l e n a P o c e c c o , M a r t i n B u r t s c h e r
Wirken sich hormonelle Faktoren auf die Häufigkeit von Kreuzbandverletzungen im Freizeitskilauf aus? Do hormonal factors affect ACL injury rate in recreational skiing?
S U M M A RY Current data show that injury to the knee joint accounts for one third of all injuries to adult skiers. There are marked gender differences in knee injury rates. Female recreational skiers have a 2-fold greater incidence in knee injuries and a 3-fold higher risk to sustain an ACL injury than male skiers. The causes of the gender-specific injury rate of knee injuries and ACL ruptures in female skiers may be related to differences in anatomical, neuromuscular and hormonal factors. Regarding hormonal factors oral contraceptive use and menstrual cycle phase are suggested to influence the risk of ACL injuries in female athletes. However, only few data are available for recreational sports. Female recreational skiers with a non-contact ACL injury and age-matched controls completed a self-reported questionnaire relating to menstrual history and oral contraceptive use. Menstrual history data were used to group subjects into either preovulatory or postovulatory phases of menstrual cycle. Our results showed that oral contraceptive use did not have any protective effect against ACL injuries in recreational skiers. In contrast, analysis of menstrual history data revealed that recreational skiers in the preovulatory phase were significantly more likely to sustain an ACL injury than were skiers in the postovulatory phase. The likelihood to sustain an ACL-injury in recreational female skiers is 2 fold increased in the preovulatory phase of their menstrual cycle while oral contraceptive use showed no association with ACL injury rate. Keywords: anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), ski injury, risk factor, menstrual cycle phase, oral contraceptives (OC)
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