The IOC medical commission recently invited a group of physicians, physical therapists, biomechanists and other scientists active in this area of research to review and discuss the current state of the art, risk factors, prevention programmes and the need for further research concerning the noncontact ACL injury in the young female athlete.

 

The literature clearly shows that female athletes have a greater risk of incurring an ACL injury than male athletes when they compete in the same sport at the same level of competition. There is also a consensus that some risk factors such as hormons and movement patterns influence the injury risk, but still more must be learnt about other risk factors as well as the mechanism of injury.

 

Preventive programs should emphasise proper landing and cutting techniques. This includes landing softly on the forefoot and rolling back to the rearfoot, engaging knee and hip flexion and, where possible, landing on two feet.

 

Read the condensed IOC consensus statement here

 

Read the full BJSM article here