Understanding and Preventing Noncontact ACL Injuries

With more than 200,000 athletes each year suffering noncontact injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee, there is finally an up-to-date reference for professionals whose work involves developing and implementing programs to prevent such injuries. Understanding and Preventing Noncontact ACL Injuries provides an authoritative description of the biomechanical, clinical, and injury factors pertinent to the athletes—primarily girls and young women—who experience this problem. To help readers understand how to incorporate targeted interventions, the book uses a preventive rather than strictly clinical approach to ACL injuries. It provides a thorough description of the current problem on an international scale, the rationale for developing prevention programs, the discrete risk factors for noncontact ACL injuries, and an analysis of current research data on the effects of interventions designed to prevent these injuries. Understanding and Preventing Noncontact ACL Injuries will help readers -clearly understand the incidence, cost, and need to quantify risk factors related to the onset of noncontact ACL injuries; -compare various prevention programs and learn why prevention programs should be implemented—especially among young women—to reduce the potential for injury; and -understand the interplay between biomechanical and neuromuscular risk factors and become aware of the role hormones, bracing, and biofeedback play. Understanding and Preventing Noncontact ACL Injuries is based on proceedings from a conference conducted by the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and draws on the work of renowned experts in the field. The book logically progresses through four parts to help physicians, professionals, coaches, and other readers better understand the problem and how they may play a part in its prevention. Part I addresses the problem of ACL injuries, including the incidence of injury, risk factors, and costs associated with injuries. Part II examines injury prevention programs, their similarities and differences, and their relative effectiveness. Part III presents the latest information on biomechanical and neuromuscular mechanisms of ACL injuries. Part IV explores hormonal and anatomic risk factors and preventive bracing for ACL injuries. To illustrate the preventive approaches that may be used, the book contains photographs of individuals actually performing the progressions involved in the programs. Other helpful resources include take-home messages and clinical notes that relate scientific findings to successful preventive efforts. By providing these tools, the authors hope to provide an easy-to-understand reference that appeals to a broad range of individuals, including athletic directors, coaches, parents, and athletes who would like to learn more about how to implement prevention programs in their schools or other organizations. Understanding and Preventing Noncontact ACL Injuries is a current and unique resource that will be useful for all people affected by this global issue. By combining scientific factors with injury mechanisms, the book will provide readers with valuable knowledge of ACL injuries and help readers implement programs to prevent them.