Clinical Care > Performance and Injury Prevention > ACL Injury Prevention
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is a band of tissue which acts as the primary stabilizer of the knee. ACL tears can be a season-ending injury to athletes, and most commonly occur in sports involving cutting and jumping, such as soccer and basketball. The mechanism of this type of injury is typically non-contact, when the athlete is twisting, decelerating, or jumping. Female athletes have a higher incidence of tears than males. The reason for this discrepancy is unknown, but there are several theories for why this occurs, such as lower hamstring to quadriceps strength, jumping mechanics, size of the ACL, the structure of the body, and hormone fluctuations.
Studies have found that training female athletes in appropriate jumping mechanics, working on their proprioception (ability to tell the position of one’s body in space), and taking them through a plyometric (jumping) program can significantly decrease their risk of ACL injury.
The OSU Sports Medicine Center ACL Injury Prevention Program consists of a 6-week training program with pre and post testing. The testing will assess the athlete’s jumping mechanics, hamstring and quadriceps strength, as well as discrepancy between left and right legs. The training will involve two, 45 minute sessions per week, for six weeks. The athlete will be educated on proper biomechanics of jumping, taken through plyometric, leg and abdominal strengthening, and balance workouts. The goal of the program is to enhance the athlete’s full body ability to safely perform the jumping, deceleration, and cutting maneuvers the sport demands to reduce or even prevent an ACL injury.
This program is open to all athletes who are14 years old or older. To provide you with the best instruction and individualized attention, each session will be limited to a maximum of five participants. The cost for the program is $350. Please call OSU Sports Medicine Physical Therapy Department at 614.293.2385 for scheduling information. To enroll, please print and submit the following form:
Consent, Release, and Waiver Form.PDF
For more information on the ACL Injury Prevention Program, please call OSU Sports Medicine Center at 614. 293.3600, extension 2.
