Women and wounded knees

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The first day University of Maryland midfielder Jen Biscoe stepped onto the soccer field after rehabilitating her torn ACL, she tore it again.

Miss Biscoe, a 21-year-old senior, says she heard the telltale pop and knew she was headed for more surgery.

She isn't alone. Proportionally, women suffer more ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injuries than men. Thanks to a greater number of women playing sports at professional and amateur levels, the numbers of wounded female athletes is rising.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons reports that female athletes playing certain sports like soccer and basketball are three to four times more likely to injure their ACLs then their male counterparts. Other experts put the figures much higher.

Doctors don't know for certain why the numbers differ between the sexes, but they have several suspects that may be to blame.

Dr. Wiemi A. Douoguih, an orthopedic surgeon at the Washington Hospital Center, says biology may be a culprit.

"A number of studies suggest an increased 'Q angle,' the measure of the angle between the tibia and thigh bone, that may predispose [women] to ACL injuries," Dr. Douoguih says.

Women also may have less muscle protection in their knees than men, and in some cases, differing skill levels also could contribute to these injuries.