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P4 ACLTM: The Prediction and Performance ACL Prevention Program

The OSU Sports Medicine ACL Injury Prevention Program

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The OSU Sports Medicine P4 ACLTM Injury Prevention Team offers strategies to prevent an ACL injury and perform at the top of your game.

Studies have found that training female athletes in appropriate jumping mechanics, working on their proprioception (ability to tell the position of one’s body in space), and taking them through a plyometric (jumping) program can significantly reduce their risk of ACL injury.

What is an ACL injury and how does it happen?



The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is a band of tissue which acts as the primary stabilizer of the knee. ACL tears can be a season-ending injury to athletes. It most commonly occurs in sports involving cutting and jumping, such as soccer and basketball. The mechanism of this type of injury is typically non-contact, when the athlete is twisting, decelerating or jumping. Although the rate of injury is much higher among female athletes, males represent the majority of ACL-injured athletes.

There are many reasons for the difference in injury rates between male and female athletes. They may be anatomical (body structure), hormonal, neuromuscular (lower hamstrings to quadriceps muscle strength ratios) or biomechanical (increased knee angles or motion). The goal of the OSU Sports Medicine ACL Injury Prevention Program is to not only enhance your sports performance but also to reduce your risk of ACL injury.