ACL injuries more common among women, but why?

PHOENIX - The Women’s World Cup has been airing on FOX, but in this tournament, some of the sports biggest stars are sidelined because of a knee injury: a torn ACL or anterior cruciate ligament.

Studies have found that young women tear their ACL’s more than young men, however, figuring out why is difficult.

Soccer is a high contact, fast paced sport where at any moment a player must pivot with precision.

26-year-old Alex Shepard plays semiprofessional in the valley.

"I've been playing since I was seven," Shepard said. "It’s been 19 years, coming on 20."

19-year-old Tatum Perrine just made a college team.

"I’ve been playing soccer since I was 3 years old," Perrine said. "My whole high school career I dreamed of playing in college. And I got the opportunity to play at Chandler Gilbert."

The young women love the game and hate being sidelined.

"I’ve known hundreds" Perrine said, referring to girls who have torn their ACLs. "I’ve known girls from 8th grade year up until now."

Perrine became one of those young women. Her mom recorded the moment she tore her ACL.

"My mom comes up to me and she was like listen, ‘I got a phone call. It’s your ACL.’ I just started crying," Perrine said.

Shepards knee tells a similar story.

"This is the ACL scar," Shepard said.

The injury is devastating to a young active woman.

"I'm pretty sure I was going through a depression of some kind," Shepard said. "I didn't know what to do."

Shepard lost her soccer scholarship.

Rehabilitation after reconstruction typically takes nine to 12 months. Superstar Alex Morgan was not spared. Same goes for Megan Rapinoe. Rapinoe has torn her ACL three times throughout her long career.

During the 2023 World Cup, stars from England, Canada, France, and the Netherlands are all out rehabbing their knee.

Research has found that a female athlete is two to eight times more likely to tear their ACL than a male athlete.

Fox 10’s Ellen McNamara asked Dr. Leah Brown if there is a specific answer about why this is happening.

"I wish there was a single answer if we did this, then X, Y, Z would happen," Dr. Brown said.

Dr. Brown is an orthopedic surgeon with Banner Health. She says more girls are playing sports which means more injuries, but there are other factors that could contribute to the disparity.

"We know that hormones, specifically estrogen leads to changes in our soft tissues, connective tissues," Dr. Brown said.

She says more research must be done to figure out what’s causing the high rate of ACL injuries in female athletes.

"As we continue to progress, resources, research all of those things will come as we ask and demand answers to the questions that we have," Dr. Brown said.

Perrine’s rehabilitation is almost in her rearview mirror.

Shepard has been back on the field for years now.

"Still continue to follow your dreams even if this is a minor setback," Shepard said.

As a preventative measure, Dr. Brown says every female team should incorporate a dynamic stretching program that can help girls and young women strengthen their muscles that surround their ACL. There are several specific ACL exercises.