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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffACL injuries are most common among:
- Athletes. If you engage in certain sports, such as those that rely on cut-and-run techniques (basketball, soccer, football) you're more at risk of an ACL injury.
- Women. Women are significantly more likely to have an ACL tear than are men participating in the same sports. Women tend to have imbalanced thigh muscles, with stronger muscles at the front of the thigh (quadriceps), compared with those at the back of the thigh (hamstrings). The hamstrings help protect the shinbone from sliding too far forward. When landing from a jump, some women may land in a position that increases stress on the ACL.
References
- Friedberg RP. Anterior cruciate ligament injury. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- ACL injury: Does it require surgery? American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00297. Accessed Dec. 18, 2008.
- Friedberg RP. Patient information: Anterior cruciate ligament injury. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Hergenroeder AC. Treatment of knee injuries in the young athlete. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 25, 2008.
- Spindler KP, et al. Anterior cruciate ligament tear. New England Journal of Medicine. 2008;359:2135
- Murray MM. Current status and potential of primary ACL repair. Clinics in Sports Medicine. 2009;28:51
