Prevent ACL injuries in young athletes with tips from Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush

CHICAGO (WLS) -- For a lot kids, going back to school means back to sports. But before you hit the soccer field or basketball court, parents and coaches are being warned about the dramatic rise in ACL injuries.

Every year, about 400,000 athletes are sidelined due to a knee injury. But locally, doctors at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush said their ACL patient numbers doubled in the last five years. Those under age 25 tripled in the same period - particularly female players.

Many of the 12- and 13-year-old Wizard Football Club members started playing soccer as young as age 3. The travel soccer team is based in Westmont.

"I would like to be a professional," said 12-year-old Jackie Roberts.

"This team plays at the highest level of one of the top leagues in the state," Wizard Football Club Coach John Roberts said. "This team travels quite a bit. We've got a number of kids here who made it to the Illinois Olympic Development Combine."

Intense play and starting at a young age are resulting in higher injury rates.

"The exposure times are greater for our younger individuals and athletes. We're seeing an increase number of tears in youths. I've seen them as young as age 8 years old," said Dr. Brian Cole of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.

Dr. Brian Cole is a leading authority on ACL injuries. As the team physician for the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago White Sox, he operated on Derrick Rose. He said there is an alarming increase in ACL injuries, with girls at higher risk.

"Many of them are sort of mechanical," Cole said. "If you look at young girls, they have a braoder pelvis and they tend to toe-out more."

To demonstrate, Cole showed a simple screening test. A player's landing should be square with soft toes and legs coming forward. Alexis Parker and Jackie Roberts have both had knee injuries, and did not land in that position when they took the test.

"When I went for it, my left foot loosened, so it twisted," Roberts said. "I fell to the ground and I felt a vibration up my whole entire leg and then all of the sudden I felt a really bad pain inside my knee."

"I took my stretching seriously. I did them every day," Parker said. "I iced my ankle. I did everything I could to get back into the swing."

Today, the girls' travel soccer team heavily emphasizes ACL injury prevention with targeted exercises.

"When it comes down to it, the bottom line is it's all about fun," Cole said. "This is what they want to do. They don't want to be on the sideline. They want to be out playing."

The return rate after injury is very high. However, studies show ACL injuries in childhood will most likely lead to arthritis of the knee later in life.

Athletes can reduce risk of getting an ACL injury by as much as 72 percent through proper strength training and at least 15 minutes of warm-ups before practice. It's all about prevention.

Non-profit organization Knees for Life offers a tag for athletes' sport bags that lists exercises they can do to prevent ACL injuries. http://kneesforlife.org/