Anterior Cruciate Ligament
“ACL” TEARS
How can we reduce the risk?
There is a lot of discussion and information these days about Anterior Cruciate Ligament (“ACL”) tears. In this article, we breakdown some of the key points to date about ACL tears... The ACL is a ligament that connects the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone) and helps to control movement of the tibia when there is a force pushing it forward or turning (such as changing direction or cutting). ACL injuries occur when the ligament is pushed beyond the end range. Many times, this results from direct contact (a hit to the knee), but, often, especially in females, it is a non-contact injury, meaning the injury results from how the individual moved their body and the force placed upon the knee, not contact with another individual. These injuries leave athletes side-lined for a year or more. INCIDENCE OF ACL TEARS IN ATHLETES WRITTEN BY
DR. ALISON SYNAKOWSKI, DPT
• 3 in every 1000 athletes participating in contact sports per year • Females are at least 3x more likely to tear their ACL via NON-contact mechanisms • The greater the contact required in a sport the greater the risk of ACL tears • Basketball and soccer account for over 75% of ACL tears in female high school athletes • Football accounts for over 70% of ACL tears for male high school athletes HOW CAN WE REDUCE RISK? • Teach proper training technique on the court/field and in the weight room. Incorporate exercises that not only focus on the knees staying in line with the ankles (not caving in), but also teach athletes proper technique with cutting, changing direction and let them practice it over and over - just as they would practice dribbling or shooting. Focus should be on deceleration, planting and cutting, and landing of jumps. Do not over correct the athlete’s technique.
40 | SARATOGA FAMILY | SPRING/SUMMER 2022
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