1. Lower Limb Injury Prevention in Elite Women's Football
- Author
-
Collings, Tyler
- Subjects
- anterior cruciate ligament rupture, lower limb injury prevention, women's sport, football
- Abstract
Lower limb injuries are endemic in women’s football and are typically characterised by high rates of recurrence. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures are particularly problematic in women and occur 3-6 times more frequently than in men’s competitions. An evidence-based approach to injury prevention requires identifying the problem, determining the cause(s), introducing a preventative measure, and assessing the effectiveness of the intervention. To date, injury prevention research that is specific to footballers in women’s competitions has been limited. Some of the most significant gaps in evidence are understanding the factors that increase lower limb injury risk in elite women’s football and establishing approaches to mitigating injury risk. Thesis aims: The general aim was to address gaps in the process of developing evidence-based injury prevention strategies specific to women’s players for the most common (hip/groin and hamstring strain injuries) and severe (ACL ruptures) lower limb injuries in football. Specific chapter aims were to: 1) systematically review evidence for intrinsic lower limb injury risk factors in women, 2) compare strength and biomechanics between elite women footballers with and without prior lower limb injury, 3) establish lower limb strength and biomechanical risk factors for ACL injury in elite women’s football, and 4) characterise gluteal muscle forces during a range of hip exercises in women to inform exercise selection for ACL injury prevention programmes (i.e. on the basis that these muscles are important for “unloading” the ACL during dynamic tasks).
- Published
- 2022