International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Open Access

Abstract

The Mechanism of Non-contact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Female Athletes: Is the Injury Mechanism Different between the Genders?

Kazuyoshi Gamada and Satoshi Kubota

ACL injury is one of the most frequent and costly injuries in sports, and is a major risk factor for early knee osteoarthritis. Although female gender is a major risk factor for ACL injury, differences in the injury mechanism between males and females have not yet been determined. The goal of this review was to determine whether there is any evidence of gender differences in the mechanisms of ACL injury. MRI studies demonstrated that the location of bone bruises after ACL injury was similar between genders and that males demonstrated more extensive damage in the joint, suggesting the involvement of higher energy but not a difference in injury mechanism. Video analyses of the process of ACL injury has shown common body positions at the time of injury, but failed to reveal differences in the joint motions between genders. Therefore, the mechanism of ACL injury is likely to be similar across genders.