Anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women

Although most athletic injuires appear to be related to the nature of the particular sport rather than to the sex of the athlete, recent studies have shown a significantly higher rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in women participating in certain sports (soccer, basketball, gymnastics, team handball, volleyball, and alpine skiing) than in men in the same sports. Many theories have been advanced to explain the increased rate of ACL injuries among women, including shoe-surface interface, muscle strength and function, sports skills, joint anatomy and the dimensions of the intercondylar notch, and cyclical hormone effects. No matter what the cause of the ACL injury is, whether its treatment is nonoperative or operative should depend not on the athlete's sex, but on the athlete's age, severity of injury, and work, athletic, and lifestyle concerns.