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Hormonal therapy: ACL and ankle injury
Julie Agel1, Boris Bershadsky, Elizabeth A Arendt
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. agelx001@umn.edu
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|January 6, 2006
Summary
Female athletes experience higher rates of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. This study found no link between hormonal therapy and injury rates in collegiate basketball and soccer players.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The disparity in noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury rates between males and females remains unexplained.
- Hormonal environment differences between sexes are hypothesized as a contributing factor to ACL injury rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the periodicity of noncontact ACL injuries.
- To assess noncontact ACL injury and ankle sprain rates in collegiate basketball and soccer.
- To determine if oral contraceptive use influences ACL injury and ankle sprain rates.
Main Methods:
- Data collected from NCAA schools during the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 basketball and soccer seasons.
- Included recall and prospective data on menstrual cycle length.
- Focused on noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and ankle sprains.
Main Results:
- Periodicity of noncontact ACL injury was observed only in the recall group of "off pill" users.
- Basketball players had twice the rate of noncontact ACL injuries and ankle sprains compared to soccer players.
- No significant difference in injury rates was found between athletes using and not using hormonal therapy.
Conclusions:
- Higher rates of noncontact ACL injuries and ankle sprains in basketball compared to soccer were not associated with hormonal therapy.
- The overall incidence of noncontact ACL injuries and ankle sprains among female collegiate basketball and soccer players is low.
