About Knee Injuries
Each year in the United States more than 20,000 high school girls suffer serious sports-related knee injuries. In fact, girls are up to six times more likely to injure their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) than boys in similar sports.
More than 70% of ACL injuries occur without any contact with another player, typically while the athlete lands from a jump or changes direction suddenly. An ACL injury at an early age is a life-changing event. Such injuries often require surgery and/or many months of rehabilitation. Regardless of treatment, ACL injuries are associated with a 10-fold increased risk for degenerative knee arthritis later in life. To address this, our sports medicine professionals have developed the KIPP program to help lower the risk of ACL injuries in female athletes. While research shows that female athletes are at a higher risk for ACL injuries, our program has expanded to include all adolescent athletes.