GO, GIRLS?

    A new study led by Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center shows that adolescent girl athletes are as much as eight times more likely to injure their knee’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) than boys.  Dr. Christopher S. Ahmad, the study’s author, says girls in soccer, basketball, gymnastics and volleyball are at particular risk.  He offers tips for girls on how to prevent ACL injuries, including making them more aware of their upright position during activities like landing from a jump and training them to assume a more flexed stance.  He also suggests strengthening of hamstring, hip and core muscles.  The study was published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine; access it at http://ajs.sagepub.com.