Sports Injuries: ACL Tears

Grace injured her ACL three times.

Grace, 18, slipped and heard a crack at soccer training.

She knew she had torn it and went to the floor.

Grace was upset.

It was her third ACL injury.

ACL injuries can keep athletes out for a year or more.

Grace struggled to recover, especially after three months.

Oscar, 22, tore his ACL twice, at 18 and 19, and had a hard rehab.

Oscar says rehab was hard mentally and physically.

Oscar felt invincible until he got hurt.

He lost muscle mass after surgery.

Oscar cried during rehab because it was too hard.

He couldn't do exercises, no matter how light.

Ava, 16, is 11 months after surgery and struggling to return to footy.

Ava is trying to get back to football after an ACL injury.

Ava had problems fueling her body and lost muscle.

Ava had a pre-stress fracture and shin pain, setting her back.

Ava wondered if she really enjoyed playing sports.

Many athletes are affected by ACL injuries, which are increasing.

What is the ACL?

The ACL is a ligament that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone.

The ACL stops the knee from twisting or sliding too far.

The ACL is like a seatbelt for the knee.

Reduced free play contributes to the increase in ACL injuries.

Most ACL injuries happen without contact.

ACL injuries often happen when changing direction quickly.

Australia has one of the highest rates of ACL injuries.

Why are ACL injuries increasing?

A study found a 74% increase in ACL injuries in young people.

Season-ending knee injuries are common among female athletes.

A recent study showed injury rates are still increasing, especially in kids under 15.

More young people, including girls, are playing high-risk sports.

Awareness and diagnosis have improved, contributing to the increase.

Kids don't spend as much time outdoors, making their bodies less prepared.

Professor Webster spent a lot of time playing outside as a kid.

Kids used to play on monkey bars and hard surfaces, not just screens.

Now, kids go from screens to competitive sports with less free play.

Early specialisation is a factor, with young people focusing on one sport.

This leads to longer seasons, extra training, and less free playtime.

Young bodies don't get to build all-round strength.

Aneeka Smith, a physiotherapist, agrees with Professor Webster.

Aneeka says doing one sport full-time increases injury risk.

Not having an off-season also leads to increased injury risk.

Aneeka sees young athletes trying to manage high training loads.

Many junior athletes play club and school sports, with high expectations.

Coaches expect 100% effort, which is not possible.

Normally, training hours should not exceed the athlete's age.

Preventing injury

Aneeka works with athletes to implement injury prevention programs.

These programs can reduce ACL injury risk by 40-50%.

But these programs are not always used in grassroots sports.

There's still a way to go in educating coaches.

Incorporating programs into warm-ups can have a big impact.

It's better to be proactive than reactive.

Getting on top of injury prevention can lead to a long, successful career.

ACL injuries can have long-term impacts and be career-ending.

After an ACL injury, 70-80% of young people return to some sport.

But only 60% return to their pre-injury levels.

Making a comeback

Grace plans to return to sport for the third time.

Finding support and connection is crucial for young people rehabbing.

Grace reached out to a sports psychologist.

Through her second rehab, Grace included herself with her team more.

Grace struggled with mental health during her first rehab.

Grace reached out to others who had suffered the same injury.

The second time, Grace created a support group.

There were many girls who did their ACLs at the same time.

They kept each other motivated to get back.

For Ava, returning to footy means rejoining her social group.

Ava started footy because of her best friends.

Ava looks forward to playing again with her friends.

Returning to sport doesn't look the same for each person.

Oscar decided to hang up his boots at 19 due to re-injury risk.

It was difficult for Oscar to stop playing football.

But over time, it became easier to deal with.

Oscar now competes in ultra marathons.

Oscar loves what he does and thinks it was a good thing.

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