Coalition against ACL injuries formed, promoting high school neuromuscular training
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The Aspen Institute and Hospital for Special Surgery have joined efforts with nine other organizations to form the first national coalition to reduce ACL injuries in the U.S., according to a press release.
The National ACL Injury Coalition aims to promote the adoption of neuromuscular training in high school sports programs, helping “participants learn to move better and face fewer threats to serious injury, so they can remain active for life,” according to the release.
“Two decades of research and data have allowed us to develop simple training programs that mitigate ACL injury risk. The problem we face now is the implementation of these programs,” Andrew D. Pearle, MD, chief of Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Sports Medicine Institute, said in the release.
“Convening leading medical, sport, insurance, public health, and educational experts will create the type of coalition we need to develop a bold plan for action and achieve systems-level progress,” Pearle said.
The coalition highlighted the heightened risk of ACL injury faced by young people playing sports that require sudden changes of direction, like soccer, basketball, lacrosse and field hockey. ACL injuries are also as much as three times more common in female than male players, depending on the sport, according to research cited in the release.
“The problem needs the same attention that has gone to reducing brain injuries, given the importance of healthy knees to moving well and the physical, mental and emotional benefits that flow to those whose bodies stay in motion throughout adulthood,” Tom Farrey, executive director of the Aspen Institute Sport and Society Program, said in the release.
Aside from the Aspen Institute and HSS, other founding members of the coalition include Tyrre Burks, founder and CEO of Players Health; Christy Collins, president of Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention; Skip Gilbert, CEO of US Youth Soccer; Jo A. Hannafin, MD, PhD, from HSS; Colleen Maguire, executive director of New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association; Bert R. Mendelbaum, MD, of Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute; Gregory D. Myer, PhD, FACSM, from Emory University; Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the National Federation of State High School Associations; and Holly Silvers-Granelli, PhD, MPT, director of research for Major League Soccer.
Reference:
Prodromos CC, et al. Arthroscopy. 2007;doi:10.10.16/j.arthro.2007.07.003.
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