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We're fairly new parents to the sports world. Our daughter has been in baseball, soccer, and volleyball for three years now. We frequently hear other parents talking about knee injuries being so common among female athletes. Can you catch us up-to-date on what this is all about?

Knee injuries are fairly common for males and females in sports that require jumping and/or pivoting. These include basketball, soccer, volleyball, football, and handball. Ligaments in and around the knee such as the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are most commonly injured. It's clear that females have a greater risk of these types of injuries compared with males. The reasons for this aren't entirely clear. But biomechanics, anatomy, and neuromuscular control are all part of the picture. Efforts are being made to study this problem. Researchers are very close to finding an exercise program that might reduce ACL injuries during practice and games. A special program called the Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance (PEP) Program shows great promise among college-aged female soccer players. The PEP program consists of a series of strengthening, stretching, and agility exercises. ACL injuries are reduced when the PEP program is performed three times a week as a warm-up before practice. When the research is complete, this program will likely find its way into the hands of coaches of all levels of female athletes at risk for ACL injuries.

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