Why young female soccer players are tearing ACLs at alarming rates

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—ACL tears in young female soccer players have surged in recent years, and experts are working to understand why.

A 15-year study by the Aspen Institute found ACL tears in female athletes jumped 32%, more than double the rate for young men.

Sierra Straley, a Cape Coral native, played soccer for several club teams in Southwest Florida.

Six years ago, at a tournament in Miami, her life changed.

"It was just a long ball down the field, and I turned to kind of beat the defender and just heard the pop, and I went down," Straley said.

Doctors later discovered she tore her anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL.

Another girl on her team also tore her ACL the same day.

According to Cedars Sinai, female athletes are up to eight times more likely to tear their ACL than their male counterparts.

The injuries often require surgery and extensive rehab.

Dr. Jordan Vokes with Pediatric Orthopedics of Southwest Florida describes the ACL as a ‘rope-like ligament’ in the center of the knee.

“Its main function is to prevent the shin bone from sliding forward on the thigh bone.

Vokes said there are several reasons why female athletes are more likely to tear their ACL, including the possibility of hormonal fluctuations.

An ongoing study funded by the International Soccer Organization FIFA is looking at that possible connection.

"I think if you look at some of the reasons, we're seeing that dramatic rise, it's earlier sport specialization. You know, kids playing the same sport year-round, not taking an adequate amount of rest and letting their bodies recover," Vokes said.

For Straley, she hung up her cleats. After graduating from Mariner High School, she's now working in healthcare.

"I just couldn't, I wasn't mentally in it anymore. My heart was in it, but I just couldn't convince myself to kind of get over that," Straley said.

Vokes is working on an ACL prevention program to help athletes in Southwest Florida reduce their chances of tearing their ACLs.