Could the 'notch' be key to understanding ACL injuries in women's football?

The "Notch" Problem: Can Football's Female Players Escape ACL Injuries?

Ladies' footballers are tearing their ACLs at an alarming rate, with the German women's top flight seeing four times more cases than men. Despite efforts to reduce injuries, researchers say they still have much to learn about why this is happening.

Funding from FIFA has led to studies into whether hormonal fluctuations play a role in the increased risk of injury. One expert believes that differences in muscle strength, landing mechanics, and bone structure may be contributing factors. The "notch" - where the ACL goes into place - is particularly vulnerable for women due to smaller notches.

"We are still in the infancy of really understanding this," says Saket Tibrewal, a trauma and orthopaedic knee surgeon. "I think the reason for that is women's football has exploded on a professional level over the last few years." The increased number of games being played with less recovery time could also be to blame.

Chelsea midfielder Keira Walsh recently highlighted the congested fixture schedule as a potential cause, saying "Maybe sometimes we do play too many games in a congested fixture schedule. There's not enough recovery time."

While researchers are making progress in understanding the causes of ACL injuries among female footballers, it remains to be seen whether these findings will lead to significant reductions in injury rates.

I'm so worried about these young female players . It's like they're running around out there with broken bones, and no one knows why it keeps happening! The whole "notch" thing is wild - I mean, who would've thought that something as small as a notch in the ACL could be such a problem? But seriously, it's crazy how quickly things have changed for women's football. They're playing more games than ever before, and it seems like they're just not getting enough rest. Maybe we need to rethink the whole schedule thing ... I don't know, but something needs to change!

I'm low-key worried about our female footballers ! All those ACL injuries can't just be random - there's gotta be a way to prevent 'em or figure out why they're happening so much more often than men . I think it's kinda crazy that hormonal fluctuations might play a role, but also make sense given how fast the sport is growing and how little recovery time players get .

It's like, imagine if we knew the "notch" was actually making women more prone to injuries just because of their biology... that'd be wild! And now Keira Walsh is talking about fixture schedules - I feel her, tbh . More games means less time to heal, and that's gotta be a contributing factor somehow.

Can't we just make football safer for all players?

I think its crazy how much more prone female footballers are to ACL injuries . We need to get to the bottom of this ASAP because its affecting so many young athletes lives. Funding from FIFA is a good start, but maybe they should also look into changing the way games are scheduled? Maybe more rest days or something? I mean, Chelsea's Keira Walsh made a point about that congested fixture schedule being too much for the players... it just makes sense . We need to prioritize player safety over everything else .

idk what's going on with fem football players and acl injuries they're literally getting torn up left & right! have you seen the stats? germany's top league is like 4 times more prone to acl tears than men's ️ it's def not just about recovery time, those hormonal fluctuations are still a mystery. i mean, why do they have smaller notches in their knees?! gotta feel for them tho, keira walsh makes some valid points maybe we should rethink the fixture schedule?

I'm getting really worried about these female footy players . They're literally tearing their ACLs left and right! Like, what's going on? The fact that they're playing so many games with not enough rest is making me go "red alert". I mean, we need to figure out how to protect these girls from getting hurt before it's too late. Maybe it's something to do with their bodies being different or the way they land from jumps? We can't just sit back and watch them get injured over and over again. Let's get some answers ASAP so we can make a change!

omg i'm literally so worried about keira walsh she plays for chelsea and is one of my faves but i know how congested the fixture schedule can get and it's def causing some injuries i've seen some vids of these female players playing infront of huge crowds and they're just giving it their all but we need to be careful not to overdo it or else we'll end up like emily scarr ACL injuries are no joke! i hope the research finds a solution soon so we can keep watching our fave players without worrying about their knees

I think its crazy how much more ACL injuries are happening in female football players especially when u consider theres a lot of progress being made in studying why this is happening from hormonal changes to muscle strength & bone structure differences, its clear thats not just a simple case of too many games being played . But at the end of the day, we need more research & funding to find solutions maybe theres a way to adapt training or equipment that can help prevent these injuries it feels like we're just starting to scratch the surface here

I'm totally with Keira on this! The amount of games they're playing is insane and it's taking a toll on their bodies I've been following some of the top women's footballers and it's like they're never even getting a chance to rest between matches. It's crazy that they have to deal with all these injuries just because they want to compete at the highest level. We need to figure out a way to reduce the number of games or give them more recovery time, stat!

I think its gotta be the whole thing with the training and games they're playin now. Like, women's footy has gotten so good but also everyone's runnin round out there, losin balance and stuff... and dont even get me started on them pitch conditions . We need better safety measures and like, proper recovery time for these girls or ACL injuries just wont go down. I mean, its sad that they're even dealin with this much. FIFA needs to step up and make some changes, ya know?

OMG, its so sad 2 c all these femal footbollers gettin acl injuries!!! they r playin so much & havin less time 2 recover i feel 4 them! i think Saket Tibrewal hit the nail on the head w/ sayin its cuz of hormonal fluc's & muscle strength diff's. & yaaas, smaller notches r def a thing! Chelsea's Keira Walsh is totally right, fixin the fixture schedule would b a huge help

OMG, I'm so glad you're talking about this!! I mean, we all love watching our favorite female footy players on the pitch, but ACL injuries are just devastating . I totally get why researchers are stumped - it's like, women's football has exploded in popularity, and suddenly there's more data to sift through . But seriously, a congested fixture schedule? That makes total sense! We all know how exhausting (and frustrating) that can be . Let's hope the experts keep digging and find ways to reduce those ACL injuries - our favorite players would really appreciate it !

I'm like totally stoked that FIFA is putting some serious funding into studying why female footballers are getting hurt so much more often than guys . I mean, ACL injuries are super common no matter what sport you play, but when it's happening to women at a rate 4x higher than men, it's gotta be something more going on . I'm all about those girls crushing the pitch and I don't want anyone getting hurt because of it . Maybe if we can figure out why these injuries are so common, we can work on some solutions to prevent them?

I'm so worried about these girls they're literally getting hurt left and right on that pitch! It's not just about the ACL injuries, I feel like we need to talk about why female footballers are more prone to them in the first place . I mean, have you seen those stats? Four times more cases than men?! That's crazy .

I'm no expert, but I think it's all about the physicality of the game and how our bodies develop . Like, Saket Tibrewal says that hormonal fluctuations might play a role, but I'm like, what about training methods? Are they tailored to women's needs or are we just throwing them into a world designed for men?

And let's be real, the schedule is getting more and more hectic . I feel like they're pushing these girls to be better, faster, stronger... but at what cost? We need to take care of our athletes, you know? They're our future superstars!

I'm starting to think that all this hype around women's football is actually a blessing and a curse at the same time... We're seeing some amazing talent on the pitch, but it comes with a price - those ACL injuries are adding up! I mean, 4 times more cases than men? That's wild! Maybe we need to rethink our approach to training, recovery, and game schedules? A bit more time off between games wouldn't go amiss, if you ask me... Just saying.

ugh this is getting ridiculous ! I mean seriously how many times do you have to twist your knee before people start listening?! we all know it's not just the games or the training but also the fact that our bodies are literally designed differently those smaller notches in the ACL are like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off! and now they're trying to blame hormonal fluctuations? come on, can't we get past this already?! the research is just starting to scratch the surface here and I'm all for more study but at what cost?! my heart goes out to those injured players

I just can't help but think about how much things have changed for women's football since I was a kid watching the World Cup on TV with my dad . Now we're talking about ACL injuries and funding from FIFA, it's crazy! I mean, back then we didn't even know what an ACL was, let alone how to prevent injuries. And now, research is saying that hormonal fluctuations and differences in muscle strength might be contributing factors... it's like a whole new world of sports science has opened up .

But you know what really got me thinking? Keira Walsh talking about the congested fixture schedule. I remember when women's football was just starting to get more serious, we'd play one or two games a week and that was considered a lot. Now it seems like they're playing three or four times in a row... it's no wonder injuries are piling up . Maybe if they take a step back and look at the bigger picture, they can figure out a way to reduce those ACL injuries and make the game safer for all of us.

[Image of a cartoon footballer with an x marked through their knee ]

[ GIF of a girl falling down with a loud "THUD" sound effect ]

[Image of a graph showing a steep increase in ACL injuries among female footballers ]

[ GIF of a surgeon looking puzzled with a magnifying glass ]

[Image of Keira Walsh holding up a calendar with a " Too Many Games" stamp ]

Ugh, I'm all for the research but let's get real...these girls are getting smashed on the pitch and it's only a matter of time before they start feeling the pain. I mean, 4 times more ACL injuries than men? That's wild . Maybe instead of trying to pinpoint some specific cause, we should just focus on building stronger physiques ...I'm not saying that's the solution but it can't hurt, right? And another thing, what's with the "infancy" comment from that doc? It feels like we're just talking around the issue and not really getting to the root of the problem. We need some tough love and a more realistic approach here .

I think its super unfair to say that female footy players are prone to ACL injuries just because they're more likely to get them. I mean, have you seen the way men play? All that tackling and crashing into each other . And yeah, maybe the "notch" thing is a factor, but we can't just blame it on biology without looking at the actual reasons behind the injuries.

I think its cool that researchers are trying to figure out what's going on and funding from FIFA is helping with that. But let's not forget that female footy players are just as talented and dedicated as their male counterparts . The thing is, women's football has only gotten more popular in recent years, so it's not like they're playing more games out of choice – its often because the teams want to compete!