Epidemic Growth of Female Athletes' Knee Injuries May be Slowed by Simple Session, Says Simmons College Study
Practices, Attitudes in Reducing ACL Sports Injuries Significantly Improved

BOSTON (Feb. 27, 2002)-A simple, 30-minute training session could contribute significantly to the practices and attitudes of female athletes and their coaches to help prevent the epidemic spread of knee injuries among female athletes, according to a new study by the physical therapy department of the Simmons College Graduate School of Health Studies.

Female athletes who play jumping and pivoting sports such as basketball, soccer, and volleyball report serious injury to their ACL (anterior cruciate ligament, the ligament which stabilizes the knee), five to eight times more frequently than men because of differences in how they are built, how they move, and how they are trained. Often the ACL injuries prevent the athletes from playing, and sometimes hinder their moving on to college or professional status. They also can lead to early onset of osteoarthritis.

Members of the Simmons College physical therapy department, led by Maura Iversen, associate professor of physical therapy, studied 113 high school female basketball players from four teams in the Cape Cod, MA, regional Southern Coast Conference during the 2000-2001 season.

They met with each team and their coaches for one 30- minute session to explain the seriousness of ACL injuries and the reasons for their increased frequency among female athletes, then demonstrated warm-up, exercise, and jumping techniques to minimize the risk of ACL injury.

Prior to the educational session, they administered questionnaires to the players and their coaches about their knowledge of and attitudes about ACL injury and prevention, and videotaped the girls' jumping techniques during a game. Eight weeks after the information session, they videotaped the players again to assess their jumping techniques, and administered another questionnaire.

As late as two months after the training session, the study found that most athletes had significantly and consistently improved their jumping techniques to minimize risk of ACL injury, and the majority of coaches and athletes indicated increased knowledge, awareness, and enthusiasm for adopting better practice and training techniques.

"Information about the seriousness of ACL injury for female athletes and how to prevent it is out there, but coaches aren't getting it and neither are their players," said study director Iversen.

"A brief educational session for female players and coaches about warm-ups, exercise, and correct jumping and pivoting techniques can go a long way in helping female athletes play smart and stay healthy."

Iversen said coaches tend to condition women differently than men, putting little focus on strength training in favor of cardiovascular workouts and skill development, despite the higher risk of ACL injury among women. ACL injuries usually happen when the players stop suddenly, land stiff and straight-legged off a jump (a common practice of female athletes) or make a quick directional change.

In addition to adopting daily exercise and stretching drills to strengthen the quad muscles that support the knee, players were taught by the Simmons physical therapists to make a two-footed, flexed- knee landing from a jump.

For further information about the study contact Prof. Iversen at 617-521-2633.

Simmons College is a nationally recognized small, private, predominantly women’s university, which includes four graduate schools.

CONTACT

Diane Millikan
617-521-2364

See Also

Simmons GSHS Site

 

 

type size
normal large