ACL Injury Prevention

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is every athlete's worst nightmare, and while these injuries are often serious, they can be prevented. The ACL connects the femur to the tibia and provides stability to the knee. When the ACL tears, it is typically due to a change in movement patterns, often as a result of fatigue. This can cause an imbalance in the forces that are placed on the knee, which results in a loss of control of the knee and leads to a valgus stress.

A strong core is one of the best ways to prevent an ACL injury. The muscles that make up the core work with the quadriceps muscles, located on the front of the thigh, to bend and straighten the leg. The hamstrings, located on the back of the thigh, help with jumping and landing. A weak core can lead to a valgus stress on the knee, which can also put the ACL at risk for tearing.

Effective ACL injury prevention programs should include strengthening, plyometric, and proximal control components. External cueing strategies, such as directing the athletes attention outside of their body or to the outcome, may also be useful in changing the movement pattern as these strategies can be easily implemented into injury prevention exercises and do not require a large amount of training or equipment.

Athletes should complete a warm-up program, including stretching and dynamic strengthening exercises, to get the blood flowing before playing or practicing sport. A few of the more popular warm-up programs include the Santa Monica ACL injury prevention program and FIFA 11. Performing jumping drills to improve balance, power and agility helps reduce the risk for an ACL tear as well. Proprioception training can also be beneficial because it helps athletes feel where their body is in space and improves balance, reaction time and agility by using approaches such as movement exercises and sequential training.