FIFA Link for Soccer Specific ACL Prevention

This link is from the FIFA site. They reference the PEP program and something from FIFA F-MARC called the 11+ exercises for injury prevention.

FIFA article on ACL injury prevention

The article includes links to a downloadable brochure on Health and Fitness of the female player from FIFA's Medical Assessment and Research Centre, F-MARC.
Downloadable injury prevention brochure from FIFA

Prevention Link of the day

This is a great link on the call for prevention, complete with video on how to screen for potential injury .

Jan 9 prevention link of the day

Surgery scheduled for Jan 14

My daughter is scheduled for a hamstring graft ACL reconstruction next week.

The local sports medicine provider has a great animation of the upcoming surgery here. 

Animations of procedures

With audio narration no less.

Check it out. 

It may motivate you to take prevention steps today.

First visit to Orthopedist coming up tomorrow

Tomorrow we will meet with a local orthorpedic surgeon to review my daughter's injury and hear his recommendation of what course of action to take. We are lucky to live in a university town with excellent sports medicine specialists.

Take steps today to reduce ACL injuries

“There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction” John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Take a half an hour today to read up on the epidemic of ACL injuries for young women and I am convinced you will agree that we must take steps immediately. Here is a link to another good article with some simple tips on how to make a difference.

http://www.infosports.com/clvclinic/femaleacl.htm

this is an excerpt from the article referenced

"There is no doubt that improving one's propioception, hamstring strength, and posture will help reduce the incidence of ACL injuries in females."

Some injury prevention tips from Mayo Clinic

This is an example of what you'll find when digging through the various links.

Prevention

By Mayo Clinic staff

To reduce your chance of an ACL injury, follow these tips:

• Improve your conditioning. Training programs that have been shown to be effective in helping to prevent ACL injuries typically include stretching and strengthening exercises, aerobic conditioning, plyometric exercises, "jump training" and risk-awareness training. Exercises that improve balance also can help when done in conjunction with other training exercises.
• Strengthen your hamstrings (women). Women athletes should take care to strengthen and stretch their hamstring muscles as well as their quadriceps.
• Keep fit year-round. If you're on a seasonal sports team, stay conditioned all year. This will help with your balance, strength and coordination when the next season starts.
• Use proper techniques when playing sports or exercising. If your sport involves jumping, learn how to land safely. Learn to do cutting maneuvers in a crouched posture with a slight bend at the knee and hip.

Anatomic Alignment, Menstrual Cycle Phase, and the Risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

I just found this article and it is very scientific and appears authentic. It discusses two factors related to ACL injuries in women athletes. Perhaps this is something to be mindful of as they approach high school age.

Anatomic Alignment, Menstrual Cycle Phase, and the

Risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

Bruce D. Beynnon, PhD*; Sandra J. Shultz, PhD, ATC, FNATA, FACSM

open the article with the pdf link below

PDF (125K)

from

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2547857/

I know this is a topic which may be difficult for dads to discuss with their daughters but there is significant data which relates the extra risk to young women during the preovulatory phase of their cycle.

an excerpt

THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MENSTRUAL CYCLE

PHASE AND THE RISK OF AN ANTERIOR CRUCIATE

LIGAMENT INJURY

"A consensus emerging from the literature suggests that the

likelihood of an ACL injury does not remain constant during

the menstrual cycle. Instead, the risk of an ACL disruption is

greater during the preovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle

than the postovulatory phase."

Do we as parents and coaches know this and inform our daughters so that they may be aware and be extra vigilant during this time?

I am discovering a lot of info, not all consistent but one thing is certain, young female athletes are at a much higher risk of knee injuries and there are multiple factors involved. This is one of those factors.

Mission and motives for this blog

My 13 year old daughter recently injured her knee playing basketball. I have begun researching how we as parents and coaches can help our young women remain safe and healthy. I will post links and excerpts from related articles here and direct parents and coaches to this site as a first step towards improving the awareness and providing resources to help prevent these injuries.

a concerned father