More Women Suffering Knee Injuries

FOX 29's Jennaphr Frederick spoke to orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist Dr. Peter DeLuca about why more women, like herself, are suffering knee injuries.

DeLuca said the reason for the rise is because there are so many more women playing sports today than in the past, but their anatomy is working against them. Women have a wider pelvis that puts more strain on the ACL tendon in the knee. Women's ACLs are already smaller than men's to correct for a smaller body mass.

A lot of research is going into preventing these types of injuries in women. An exercise program has been developed to help prevent ACL tears, but it can't guarantee protection from an injury.

"The key is you have to do it," DeLuca said, "If you stop doing it for even two or three weeks then you are back to where you were before."

While in recovery, women should avoid sports like snowboarding and skateboarding. If they feel like they have to wear heels, wedges will put less strain on knees than regular heels.

There are 150,000 ACL tears in the U.S. each year, with the recovery period stretching from six to nine months. Many of these can be avoided by exercising the hips and practicing soft landings by bending at the hips and knees.