I remember the exact moment my knee gave out. It was my last U18 club volleyball competition four years ago. I went up for a hit like I had done a thousand times before, but this time, it went horribly wrong. I landed on one leg – again, something I had always done – and collapsed onto the ground.
The pain that shot through my body was so intense it threw me into a state of shock; I couldn’t even cry. My assistant coach carried me off the court and later told me how hard I had been squeezing his hand. All I knew at that moment was that my season – and potentially my career – might be over.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that I had ruptured my ACL (Grade III), MCL and meniscus. This is a dreaded trio, and an injury combination far too common in women’s sports. As I began my long and painful road to recovery, I couldn’t shake the question that filled me with frustration: Why are women so much more prone to tearing their ACLs than men? And why is there such a glaring lack of research into this problem?
The harsh truth is that female athletes are 2-8 times more likely to tear their ACLs than their male counterparts. Plenty of explanations are tossed around: the menstrual cycle’s effect on ligament elasticity, the wider hip ratio of women or the biomechanics of the way women land from a jump. But despite these theories being discussed for years, the research into exactly why women are at this distinct disadvantage remains inadequate. Often, the attempted explanations are speculative and, although there’s been a recent increase in research, there’s very little concrete data to back them up.
The conversations we should be having about why female athletes are at a higher risk, how we can reduce that risk and how to better treat and rehabilitate these injuries are simply not occurring at the level they should be. There is a dangerous lack of urgency surrounding this problem.
During the 2023 Women’s World Cup alone, 25-30 female athletes missed the tournament due to ACL injuries. That’s enough to field a two-team match. It’s frankly unacceptable that this isn’t being treated as the injury crisis that it is. One can’t help but wonder: If this injury epidemic was happening in the men’s Premier League at the same rate, would there already be an entire committee dedicated to the issue?
For those of us who have experienced the dreaded ACL tear, the recovery process is grueling. Rehabilitation programs typically span 9-12 months and are often designed for the male body. A study published by Penn State University in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research found that women suffering from ACL tears due to chronic overuse are less likely to recover fully compared to men. This research offers valuable insights but still falls short of explaining why female athletes face such higher risks and prolonged recovery times. Where is the targeted, comprehensive research into how women’s bodies respond to this injury?
These disparities in injury rates and the lack of targeted research on ACL injuries in women highlight a much deeper issue: the gender gap in sports medicine. For far too long, female athletes have been an afterthought in sports science and medical research. This goes beyond just ACL injuries – our risks, recovery needs and even the equipment we use all differ from men’s. Yet, time and time again, we are treated as “little men” in the world of sports.
Take something as basic as the shoes we wear. I tore my ACL while wearing men’s basketball shoes, specifically KDs. This is a widespread issue: Female athletes, even at the elite level, are often wearing men’s shoes that are scaled down for women but don’t consider the unique biomechanics of the female body.
The anatomy of women’s feet is different; we have narrower heels and wider forefeet which means that men’s shoes don’t provide the right fit or support. The result? Instability, improper mechanics and a higher risk of injury. If we’re not even given gear designed to fit our bodies, it’s no surprise that knee injuries are so prevalent in women’s sports.
The physical toll of an ACL tear is only part of the story; the mental strain of such an injury is also significant and often overlooked. From the moment I landed awkwardly on that court, I knew something was seriously wrong. It wasn’t until I got the diagnosis that I understood just how long and difficult the road to recovery would be. The months of physical therapy, the constant fear that I might never return to the same level and the loneliness of watching my teammates play while I sat on the sidelines – it all took a heavy mental toll.
Even today, every time I step on the court, I think about my knee. For all athletes, no matter their gender, it’s difficult to find sports-specific mental health support in the aftermath of a traumatic injury like this.
Female ACL tears are not just an unfortunate byproduct of playing sports – they’re a crisis that deserves far more attention than they currently receive. It’s time to prioritize research, gear and support systems that reflect the needs of women in sports. Anything less is leaving us at risk.
Georgia McGovern CM ’24 was meant to graduate in the spring but decided three seasons of volleyball were not quite enough for her. Like all British people, she loves soccer: She is a passionate Liverpool FC fan and, yes, despite never having played a single minute of soccer in her life, she knows the offside rule.
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