Can neuromuscular training prevent ACL injuries?
By Jordana Bieze Foster The goal of applied biomechanical and epidemiological research aimed at decreasing knee ligament injuries in general-and anterior cruciate ligament injuries in particular-in athletes must be to first determine the factors that make athletes susceptible to knee ligament injuries and then to develop treatment modalities to aid in the prevention of these injuries. If preventive modalities such as dynamic neuromuscular training can reduce the incidence of knee injury by even a few percentage points, thousands of knee injuries can be prevented in high school and collegiate sports annually. In addition, with the ever-increasing popularity of high-risk jumping and pivoting sports like soccer, volleyball, and basketball and the rapidly growing number of participants each year, even higher numbers of injuries could be avoided in the future.
