Anterior cruciate ligament prevention strategies

Abstract

Participation in sports is on the rise, with young athletes training year round and specializing at earlier ages, predisposing them to sports-related injuries. Once thought to be rare, injuries of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are being seen with a greater frequency in the paediatric population. Numerous preventive training programmes have been developed. The purpose of this review is to discuss risk factors and the effectiveness of preventive programmes in the young athlete. Most ACL prevention programmes take a multifaceted approach, targeting dynamic neuromuscular and proprioceptive deficits. Focus often lies on noncontact mechanisms of injury, jump and landing techniques, and improving movement patterns during pivoting, cutting and change in direction. However, the effectiveness of these programmes in skeletally immature athletes needs to be evaluated. Early specialization and increased demand for peak performance at a time of major physiological change, lack of physical fitness and neuromuscular deficits have contributed to an increase in ACL injuries in young athletes. Various preventive training programmes have been developed, but their effectiveness is debatable. We encourage young athletes to partake in preseason training programmes focused on strengthening, neuromuscular and proprioceptive training units under the appropriate supervision of qualified personnel.