Are There More Sports Injuries in Women? Behind the Statistics

With the rise of female sports participation in recent decades, statistics show that certain injuries appear to be more common in female athletes than in male athletes. But are sports injuries in women more frequent across the board? While research indicates that women are at higher risk for certain specific sports injuries, they are not injured more often overall compared to men. 

In this article, we’ll consider factors that make women more susceptible to certain sports injuries, explore common injuries in female athletes, and address how women can lower their risk of injury. 

At The Bone and Joint Surgery Clinic, we’ve been providing expert care and treatment of sports-related injuries to Raleigh and Triangle area residents for decades. Our Raleigh physicians are trained in diagnosis and treatment of sport-specific injuries to help you get back in the game. We invite you to contact us to schedule an appointment or learn more. 

Are Sports Injuries More Common in Women?

While women are not universally injured more frequently than men, female athletes do tend to have higher rates of specific types of injuries, particularly when playing the same sports at comparable levels as their male counterparts.

This is especially true in sports like basketball, volleyball and soccer, with their quick directional changes and cutting, jumping and landing motions. 

Why Are Women More Prone to Sports Injuries?

Women are more susceptible to sports injuries due to a combination of biological, anatomical and hormonal factors, including:

Anatomy and Movement Patterns

• Wider hips affect leg alignment and can place additional stress on the knee, especially when landing or pivoting.
• Different knee angle, sometimes called the “Q-angle,” increases strain on the ACL.
• Women often land from jumps with knees positioned differently than men, placing more stress on ligaments like the ACL. 
• Less muscle mass around joints, which can reduce joint support under stress. 
• Muscle balance differences, such as stronger quadriceps compared to weaker hamstrings, an imbalance that can cause ligament strain.
• Tendons and ligaments in women are more flexible, which can make some joints more vulnerable during high-impact movements. 

Hormones

• Estrogen levels affect ligament flexibility.
• Fluctuating hormone levels during the menstrual cycle can affect joint stability.
• A hormone-linked condition known as the “female athlete triad,” i.e., low energy intake, irregular periods and decreased bone density, can reduce bone strength and increase the risk of stress fractures.

While research into how hormones impact injury risk in women is ongoing, they are thought to have an influence. 

Neuromuscular Control

• Differences in muscle activation patterns during rapid movement may contribute to a higher risk of specific injuries. 
• Women tend to have less neck strength and muscle mass, which may play a role in higher concussion rates when compared to men in similar sports.

It’s important to recognize that these differences are structural and physiological, not indications that women are weaker. Women have different biomechanics that affect risk patterns for specific injuries. 

What Are Common Sports Injuries in Female Athletes?

While female athletes can experience any sports injury, certain injuries tend to occur more often in women than in men. 

Common sports injuries among female athletes include:

• Knee injuries, especially ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tears, are more likely to happen in high-impact pivoting sports such as soccer, basketball, lacrosse and volleyball
• Stress fractures, common in runners and those with inadequate nutrition or low bone density 
• Ankle sprains, common across many sports
• Concussions at higher rates than men in comparable sports
• Shoulder injuries in overhead sports

How Can Women Lower Their Risk of Injury?

Just because you actively participate in sports doesn’t mean that injury is inevitable. There are several reliable ways to reduce your risk of injury. 

These strategies include:

• Strength and conditioning training 

• Focus on exercises that strengthen the hamstrings, glutes, hips and core to help stabilize and protect the knee.

• • Engage in neuromuscular training programs that teach safer jumping, landing and pivoting techniques.
  • Consider exercises that help with flexibility and balance, such as yoga, Pilates and balance drills. 

• Proper nutrition
• Consume adequate calories to support training and appropriate amounts of protein, calcium, vitamin D and iron for optimal muscle and bone health.
• Recovery 

• • Avoid overtraining.
  • Allow adequate time for rest.
  • Address pain early to prevent minor issues from becoming more serious.

• Specialized care

• • If you sustain an injury, it’s important to get evaluation and treatment from physicians who specialize in sports medicine care, including physical therapy for sports injuries.

The Raleigh Bone and Joint Surgery Clinic Provides Expert Care and Treatment of Sports Injuries 

While women don’t experience more sports injuries than men across every category, data shows there is a higher risk for certain injuries like ACL tears, stress fractures, ankle sprains and concussions. 

At the Bone and Joint Surgery Clinic, we’re experienced in treating these and other sports injuries with care tailored to athletes and active adults. Our sports medicine physicians are trained in sports-specific injuries and work closely with physical therapists, occupational therapists and athletic trainers to help you recover safely and get back in the game. 

We invite you to contact us to schedule an appointment or learn more about our sport-specific treatments.