Orthopaedic Surgery
Samantha
Like many young female athletes, Samantha is a force. Samantha can traverse a soccer field in record time, out-maneuvering her competition. But also like other female athletes, she is susceptible to ACL [anterior cruciate ligament] injuries. At the Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine, Christopher Ahmad, MD is conducting research to determine why the gender difference exists. He instructs his patients that one of the reasons is women tend to increase their quadriceps strength more than hamstrings - creating an imbalance which leads to undue stress on the ACL. Another reason is women tend to perform their sports in more upright positions. Samantha will change her training regimen to include strengthening of her hamstrings and acquire a more flexed position. And she will continue to run circles around the competition.
