Play like a girl!
The same type of knee injury is keeping some of the world's best female soccer players on the sidelines during the 2023 World Cup. UH orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Christopher Shaw, says it's the type of injury that happens more to women than men.
"The ACL is one of the main ligaments that connects the top part of your leg to the bottom part of your leg," explains Dr. Christopher Shaw. "It's one of the most common orthopaedic injuries, especially in pivoting and twisting sports like soccer, football and volleyball."
And Dr. Shaw said an ACL injury is more likely to happen to a female than a male athlete. "There are a lot of reasons why - the way that women's bodies are designed can put increased stress on that ligament combined with some genetic factors like a specific gene as well as some of the ways that women physiologically move. That puts increased stress on the knee with certain sporting activities."
So what's a girl to do? Dr. Shaw says since women typically have stronger quadriceps (front of legs) than hamstrings (backs of legs), female athletes should work on strengthening their hamstrings.
He also suggests aiming for a strong core- and he's not just talking abs. He suggests strengthening hip muscles.
Finally FIFA, an international football/soccer ruling organization, has published a series of exercises intended to reduce lower body injuries. Google "FIFA exercises" to learn more.
Want to know more about how University Health Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine can get you back on track? Click here or give us a call. You can reach the downtown Kansas City Orthopaedics clinic at 816-307-0440. You can reach the Lakewood clinic at 816-307-3720.