In Females There have been many studies conducted over the last couple of years confronting the issue of ACL injury and the female athlete. The data indicates that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of injuries of this nature. Many of these studies have focused on variables that are thought to be indicative of the increase in prevalence of ACL tears. There are many differences that may contribute to the increase in ACL tears in female athletes. Females also tend to be more ligament dominant, relying more on their ligaments for support.
Males tend to be more muscle dominant, relying on muscle mass as a major support for their joints.
Looking at these gender differences, we can target the areas that appear to offer the most potential for injury reduction in females. These are core stability to maintain proper pelvic alignment in a neutral range, strengthening of the gluteus medius and external rotators to control femoral adduction and internal rotation, and strengthening of the quadriceps, hamstrings, and ankles. Although a number of animal studies have documented the effects of estrogen on collagen metabolism in various tissues, ligaments have not been the subjects of investigation until relatively recently. Several studies in vivo have shown that the quantity of collagen in certain tissues is influenced by estrogen. The net effect of these cellular events may be the altered structure and composition of the ligament and a potential higher risk for ACL injury.