I'm a coach in a small town for all the sports on both sides (males and females). I try to keep up on the latest findings in athletics. I know girls are at greater risk for leg injuries than boys. Is this true for all sports?
In general girls tend to have more leg injuries than boys. The most common is a tear or rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee. Other injuries include stress fractures and overuse syndromes.
A recent study at the University of Delaware showed that any athlete (male or female) with decreased core strength is at increased risk for injury. This was true for basketball and track participants. It's difficult to include all sports in one study.
The results of the study did show differences in the location of injuries. The most commonly injured area in athletes is the foot and ankle. The knee comes next, and the back, hip or thigh after that. There doesn't seem to be a difference in location based on gender. Type of sport may make a bigger difference. Basketball players often injure the foot and ankle. Track athletes tend to injure areas closer to the center.
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