IC 01-2026-Leveling the Playing Field in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Closing the Gap in Outcomes and Care for the Female Athlete-IC01: Leveling the Playing Field in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Closing the Gap in Outcomes and Care for the Female Athlete.

IC01: Leveling the Playing Field in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Closing the Gap in Outcomes and Care for the Female Athlete.

Back to course

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The session focused on ACL injuries and reconstruction in female athletes, emphasizing that the question is no longer why women tear ACLs more often, but how to improve outcomes after reconstruction. Presenters highlighted the rapid growth of women’s sports since Title IX, increased media attention, and the need for care that reflects differences in biology, biomechanics, nutrition, and psychology.<br /><br />Key topics included hormonal influences on ACL risk, such as estrogen and relaxin, while noting that menstrual-cycle effects remain unclear clinically. More consistent evidence supports neuromuscular control deficits, dynamic knee valgus, and landing mechanics as major modifiable risk factors. Prevention programs like FIFA 11+ were shown to reduce ACL injury rates substantially, but adoption remains limited.<br /><br />The panel also reviewed outcomes after ACL reconstruction using the MOON cohort. Overall graft failure rates were similar between sexes, but female athletes were less likely to return to high-level sport and tended to report worse patient-reported outcomes over time. Psychological readiness emerged as a major factor influencing return to sport, with lower readiness, higher fear of reinjury, and lower self-efficacy more common in women. The speakers stressed that mental health should be viewed as part of a broader, modifiable psychological profile rather than a binary issue.<br /><br />Other important considerations included nutrition and low energy availability, concussion history, and the need for multidisciplinary care involving sports psychology, nutrition, and rehabilitation specialists. The panel concluded that better screening, more individualized rehab, women-specific longitudinal research, and improved prevention efforts are essential to optimize care for female athletes with ACL injuries.

Keywords

ACL injury

female athletes

ACL reconstruction

neuromuscular control

dynamic knee valgus

FIFA 11+

psychological readiness

return to sport

low energy availability

women's sports