Play at Your Own Risk

Sport, the Injury Epidemic, and ACL Injury Prevention in Female Athletes

Abstract

This article focuses on describing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in athletes and the efficacy of implementing a neuromuscular and proprioceptive sports-specific training program to reduce the incidence of ACL ligament injuries. This article will discuss the role of the ACL, epidemiology and etiology, and the four categorical risk factors for incurring an ACL injury: anatomical, environmental, hormonal, and biomechanical. In addition, this article will discuss the mechanisms ACL injuries, as well as a comprehensive review of all of the literature that has been published with regard to the prevention or reduction of ACL injury. The article concludes that a neuromuscular training program might have a direct benefit in decreasing the number of ACL injuries in athletes.