Female basketball players at greater risk for knee injury: August 13.

A sports medicine specialist at Loyola University Chicago says female basketball players are at greater risk of serious knee injury than men because of anatomical differences between the sexes. This risk has led to a surge in knee injuries among female athletes, making basketball the leading cause of sports-related injuries, says a Reuters article.

However, teaching female athletes to change how they move on the court can reduce the risk of knee injuries, says Pietro Tonino, MD, of Loyola's Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Illinois. Tonino, an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery, cites injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) as the major problem for women athletes. The ACL can be injured when an athlete pivots or changes direction rapidly, lands from a jump, or slows down from running, he says.

Women are 2 to 8 times more likely than men to experience an ACL injury. Because of differences in the shape of the pelvis, women tend to land differently than men do, he explains. While male athletes most often land with their knees in a bent position and protect the knees from injury, female athletes tend to land in a 'knock-kneed' position."

Tonino says the anatomical differences can be easily overcome by teaching female athletes how to land properly after a jump so they are less likely to hurt their knees. They also can be taught to improve the ability to sense their body position while they are moving, which may reduce the risk of knee injury, and by strengthening some of the muscles that protect the knee.