A ‘tsunami’ of career-destroying knee injuries is ravaging women’s football, experts have warned.
The number of incidents involving damage to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is also ‘just the tip of the iceberg’, doctors say.
ACL injuries often take about six to nine months to fully recover after reconstruction. But in some cases, players have to wait a year before they can return to their sport.
Scotland midfielder Caroline Weir became the latest player to suffer the injury last week, prompting renewed calls from players, fans and managers for more research into why these types of injuries are more common in female footballers than men.
Meanwhile, top female footballers have admitted to being ‘scared’ and ‘worried’ about the risk of serious injuries.
Scotland midfielder Caroline Weir became the latest player to suffer the injury last week, prompting renewed calls from players, fans and managers for more research into why these types of injuries are more common in female footballers than men.
It comes just days after Scotland midfielder Caroline Weir became the latest player to suffer the injury, tearing her anterior cruciate ligament while playing for her country against Belgium on Tuesday. Caroline Weir is pictured injured during the match at Hampden Park on September 26
Ms Weir became the latest player to suffer the injury, tearing her ACL while playing for her country against Belgium on Tuesday.
Speaking to the BBC’s Sports Desk podcast, surgeon Nev Davies, who has expertise in treating knee problems, said there has been a ‘tsunami’ of cases in women’s football at grassroots level.
He said: ‘From the data we’re getting, not just from Britain but around the world, you’re talking about an endemic of ACL injuries and obviously we’re hearing about the elite game and the Lionesses because that’s in the media.
“Unfortunately, there is a tsunami of ACL injuries that we are seeing.”
ACL injuries occur when there is a partial or complete tear, a stretched ligament, or a loosening of the ligament that connects the femur to the shin.
But data from campaign group ACL Women Football Club suggests that as many as 195 elite players have suffered the same fate in the past twelve months.
Earlier this year, Lioness captain and Arsenal defender Leah Williamson joined fellow Lioness and Arsenal forward Beth Mead in missing the World Cup after both damaged their cruciate ligaments.
Football-focused studies have shown that women are six times more likely to suffer ACL injuries than men, and are 25 percent less likely to return after recovery.
The British Orthopedic Association has labeled the number of reported injuries in women’s top-flight football as ‘just the tip of the iceberg’.
It is claimed that there is a ‘rapid’ increase in the number of younger amateur athletes suffering ACL injuries, with the biggest increase seen in teenage girls.
Critics have blamed sportswear manufacturers for increasing the risk of injury.
Earlier this year, Lioness captain and Arsenal defender Leah Williamson also joined fellow Lioness and Arsenal forward Beth Mead in missing the World Cup after both damaged their cruciate ligaments. Pictured is Leah Williamson after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in April
The British Orthopedic Association has also labeled the injury rate in women’s top-flight football as ‘just the tip of the iceberg’. It claims it has seen a ‘rapid’ increase in the number of younger, amateur athletes suffering ACL injuries, with the biggest increase seen in teenage girls. Pictured: Leah Williamson in April 2023
Football-focused studies have shown that women are six times more likely to suffer ACL injuries than men, and are 25 percent less likely to return after recovery. Beth Mead is pictured back training in September after missing the World Cup due to a cruciate ligament injury
Many football boots do not take into account that women’s feet are shaped differently than men’s, meaning female players can wear ill-fitting shoes that can increase the risk of injury.
Women also run differently than men, but the studs are designed around male movement.
Limited research suggests that some hormones can loosen the ligaments, increasing the risk of tearing.
One 2019 study found the stability of joints can be affected if estrogen is increased during the menstrual cycle, which usually happens in the second week.
Writing in the diary Frontiers in physiologyUS researchers said using oral contraception can compensate for hormonal changes and reduce the risk of ACL rupture.
However, other research has suggested that there is no change in knee displacement in relation to the women’s cycle.
Physiotherapist Tom Bradley, owner of Warrior Sports Rehab and Come Back Club in London, told the Daily Express: ‘The ACL controls the rotation between the tibia and femur. Women have relatively wider hips than men and their knees are usually on the inside of their hips, so there is already an element of rotation.
“So there’s a greater chance of that ligament coming under tension because of the anatomical shape of a woman’s leg.”
Other factors contributing to frequent ACL injuries at elite levels may also be due to scheduling and fatigue, he suggested.
‘“If a player is tired, he may not have the same muscle strength to support himself and that could be the reason why he goes,” he added.
Many of the top players in women’s football have gone from the European Championship to the domestic season and the World Cup, with critics saying FIFA and UEFA should intervene to allow sufficient recovery time.
Last year, England manager Sarina Wiegman also said FIFA, UEFA and federations around the world ‘must do something’ to tackle the increasing number of cruciate ligament injuries.
Speaking to the BBC’s Sports Desk podcast, Birmingham City defender Siobhan Wilson also said it was ‘no coincidence’ that there were so many in such a short space of time.
She added: “People are finally realizing this is serious.
“When you get an injury and it stops you from doing what you know, you feel like you lose your identity a little bit.”