ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURIES IN SPORT: ARE THEY PREVENTABLE?

Abstract

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is one of the most disabling knee injuries an athlete can sustain. Consequently, strategies by which this injury can be prevented are urgently required. Based on observations of the compensatory adaptations displayed by functional ACL deficient patients it is recommended that preventative strategies for noncontact ACL injuries should focus on reprogramming the locomotor processes used by athletes to control knee motion at foot-ground contact in landing. However, further research is warranted to determine if healthy athletes can be efficiently trained to use the same muscle recruitment strategies developed by functional ACL deficient patients to protect their knees and how effective these strategies are in minimising the incidence of non-contact ACL injuries.