Is there something we can do to prevent more ACL injuries in the future? ACL injuries are taking out athletes from sports one-hundred thousand to three-hundred thousand each year (Hewett, 2010). Females especially are suffering the most from this specific injury. The ACL muscle is located in your knee and has many functions. It helps keep the tibia from moving forward, keeps the knee from extending farther than it should, and keep the shock absorbers safe from damage (Dharamsi & LaBELLA, 2013). ACL injuries affect each person in a different way, but understanding why this happens can help prevent more injuries from occurring. We can reduce the number of injuries by knowing the difference between a female …show more content…
There are different types of programs that athletes can go through but they need to be pushed to be a part of one. “Neuromuscular Training (NMT)” is a program that is specific to a patient’s injury. They try to put more emphasis on strengthening and plyometric exercises then any other ones. It is recommended to be in the program for six to eight weeks before the patient sees any difference. This type of training has shown seventy-two percent decrease in ACL injuries from females (Dharamsi & LaBELLA, 2013). There is also a test called the “drop-jump screening test” which is used find out which athletes are at a higher risk of an ACL injury. During this test the athlete stands on a box and jumps off. The way they land can decide whether they need to be put in a program. “Sportsmetrics” is another program that has 4 phases that an athlete completes. A smaller form of this program is “Warm-up for Injury Prevention and Performance (WIPP)” that is made for female soccer and basketball athletes. It is a twenty-minute program completed before any exercise has begun (Rodenberg, Cayce, Hall, 2006). As you can see there are many programs out there we just need to get our athletes in one. This would significantly drop the number of ACL injuries a year. Teaching athletes the correct way to move their bodies in order to prevent an injury is worth the pain and suffering that can be