Why don’t we talk more about ACL injuries in women?

Victoria is a Sportily coach who spends most weeks on a netball court. After rupturing her ACL, this is her experience of being injured and waiting for surgery.

"I originally planned to write about recovering from my first sports injury and coming out the other side stronger. Four months on, after an MRI and a lot of physiotherapy, I’ve ruptured my ACL and am now waiting for surgery, with a long recovery still ahead.

If you don’t know me, I play a lot of netball. I also umpire and coach, so sport has always been a big part of my week and how I look after myself. Losing that suddenly was hard. Without exercise as an outlet, I found myself spending too much time scrolling and trying to understand what had happened.

That’s when I started reading more about ACL injuries and realised how much more likely they are in women than in men – estimates suggest between two and eight times more likely. This is linked to factors such as hormones and anatomy. What surprised me most wasn’t the statistic itself, but how little of the research and guidance is actually based on women.

If women are more likely to experience ACL injuries and often play sports with a higher risk of them, it raises questions about why prevention and education aren’t better tailored. Is this an issue within sport, medical research, or both?

Before my injury in September, I knew very little about ACL injuries or recovery. I didn’t know how long it could take, or how important it is to protect and strengthen the uninjured knee. Now, I feel as though I could write a manual, given the number of times children have questioned the brace keeping all my bones in the right place.As I remind myself that this injury isn’t forever and I’ll play netball again, I’ve been proud to keep supporting players through coaching and to raise awareness among women and girls about injury risks. 

This injury isn’t permanent, and I will return to netball one day. In the meantime, it’s already changing how I coach and support players, particularly women and girls. If sharing this helps raise awareness or encourages better conversations around injury and recovery, then it feels worth putting into words."

There are so many passionate female coaches at Sportily ready to share their skills and experience – click here to see what sessions are happening near you and #GiveItAGo today.