Neuromuscular strategies in ACL injury prevention

Abstract

Non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common in young athletes, and female athletes are at higher risk than males. This chapter describes a study which directly measured the ACL strain during various stopping and cutting manoeuvres, and another study which measured the gender differences in lower limb muscular activity during unanticipated cutting. The first study determined that the highest ACL strain occurred in unison with vertical peak ground reaction force during cutting. The second study determined the gender differences in hamstring (ACL agonists) muscle activity and its relationship with the occurrence of maximal ACL strain. Females had decreased biceps femoris activity during peak ACL strain in the cutting task compared to men, providing information on gender-based injury discrepancies. Given the importance of the hamstrings in ACL protection, hamstring grafts may not be ideal for ACL repair.