Knee Injuries

Here's The Problem !!!

People are reading this but not HEARING it !! There have been few and far between stories about female softball players having knee problems due to softball, it's always something else that has aggravated the knee that maybe softball was the last leg ( NO PUN INTENDED ) that caused the injury, but the basketball,soccer for an IE. are the real culprits that cause injury to the knees..You have three doors in front of you, there is a man behind one of the doors with a gun pointed at you, because you have been told this.......WHY RISK GETTING SHOT ??? Before you say HUH , think about it !!!

Guru

 

Yes and . . .

Three girls have suffered significant knee injuries on my DD's team during her career (she's a senior). Ironically, all have come during fall conditioning drills . . . I could tell you what I think about many coaches' conditioning philosophies but I'll spare you the diatribe.

I've watched a lot of college softball over the last few years and have never seen a girl suffer a knee injury (requiring surgery) during a game. I know it happens but at no where near the frequency as in soccer and basketball.

 

Agreed !!

And most of the showcase coaches will agree with your very statement..so why risk it ???

EOC............ Guru

 

For my daughter the . . . .

the risk to playing other sports was driven, at least for a while, by the fact that she was a good at them and had fun playing them. We recognized together that after middle school something had to go (basketball) as the demand to working on pitching and play two other sports was just too much. She loved volleyball and was first team all-conference as a Soph . . . probably a D2 prospect at 5'10".

I think what made Vball so much fun is the fact that she was not center of attention. In softball she was essentially expected to dominate every time out. In Vball she was good but that game (which I really like) is ALL about the team. Had the coach allowed her to play in-season only she would have probably played her final two years in HS. I played 3 sports in HS and had fun at each of them. It some ways it's unfortunate that today's climate does not allow for that.

 

Nicely Put !!

Your reasoning is not like most, you promoted multiple sports for the benefit of your kids enjoyment, I know quiet a few parents promote opposite, they encourage their kids to play 3 or more sports, because they want their kids name in the paper all year round..........okay little Susie is in the paper all year round ,and now she is out for a year because of an extensive leg / knee injury --GO FIGURE !!! Remember if it's a torn ACL she will most likely never be the same in her athleticism...didn't say everybody, but quiet a few will be done !!!! Scholarship C-YA !!!

Guru


Footnote: Out of the Washington Post

WASHINGTON—A 14-year-old gymnast with a stress fracture in her lower back. A 12-year-old who tore his ACL in a soccer game. A 16-year-old runner with a leg stress fracture. A 15-year-old who tore his meniscus playing basketball. And the list goes on and on and on.................

 

After middle school That was end of BB for DD. Saw many BB players coming to softball tryouts with knee braces on from BB. Let her play volleyball, & it is a neat team sport. Seems alot of the SB players make very good VB players. Could it be they have good hand & eye coordination.

 

ACL surgery recovery

For those who have never been there:

My daughter is 14. She tore her ACL to shreds January 27, 2008. Had surgery at Duke Sports Medicine March 4th, 2008. Physical therapy started three days later.

The first thing you need to do is find a great surgeon. It makes a huge difference. You would not believe the kids and adults who walked through the doors during the 7 months we went to Duke Physical Therapy whose knee's were messed up and they came to Duke to have them fixed. Or, went to Duke for the surgery like we did and were there for PT. It's was amazing the number of folks that walk through the door there. It's an industry. What's even more amazing is the number of middle school, high school, and college athletes that walk through the door with knee, arm, and shoulder problems.

Secondly, strengthen the knee several weeks before surgery. You will not believe how much the leg will shrink, so make it as strong as possible before surgery to get you through. Whatever they tell you to do at physical therapy you better do it to the note. The first few weeks are the hardest, but then it gets easy. Not much pain, just a little early on where the hamstring was harvested to make the new ACL. At least that's how it was in our case.

Finally, the most important thing we learned is how to condition an athlete, in our case a 14 year old softballer, to prevent another ACL tear. It doesn't mean you'll never have an injury. You twist something the right way and there is no amount of conditioning you can do that will keep it from popping. But the more you know HOW to condition the better you protect against ACL injury. Otherwise you set yourself up for a revision, or first time surgery.

Females ligaments and tendons are thinner than a man's, which makes them more prone to injury. Hamstrings and quads are the muscles that protect the knee's. The stronger they are, the better the knee's are protected. The best way to tell if your hams and quads are strong enough are to have them tested. Tork based on body weight.

Conditioning, conditioning, conditioning....all year round. Especially the hams and quads, or you set yourself up for the ACL tear. The recovery from ACL reconstruction is a phenomenal amount of work, not anly for the athlete but for the parents. You have to help them.

6 to 8 months depending on how well you rehab and the extend of ligament damage, and especially how well you can get the hams and quads up to full strength.

We have had no problems because my daughter loves softball and could not wait to get back, and we had a great surgeon at Duke, and a great physical therapist.

BTW, the top sports for women ACL tears are Soccer and Basketball, gymnastics and softball.

Hope this helps....