Co-creation of a gender and sport-specific knee injury prevention strategy - the first step in osteoarthritis prevention

Abstract

Purpose: Prior knee joint injury, such as an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, is one of the strongest risk factors for the onset of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Fifty to ninety percent of people develop radiographic knee OA, ten to fifteen years after an ACL injury, irrespective of acute management. ACL injuries are common in high-risk sports that involve cutting, pivoting and landing, with females at a 2-5 times greater risk of serious knee injury than men. Strategies that decrease the risk of knee joint injury and subsequent knee OA would make a significant contribution to the community.