New data shows a jump in injuries for sporty young girls

New Medibank data shows an increase in sports-related claims for girls, with more young women tackling contact sports such as Australian rules football and soccer.

From 2012, Medibank data shows a 52 per cent increase in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repairs for girls aged 10 to 14 years. For those aged 10 to 19, it was a 31 per cent increase. Compared to boys aged 10 to 19, there was almost 20 per cent fewer claims for ACL repairs.

The ACL plays an important role in keeping the knee stable. Tears or sprains to the ligament can be debilitating and painful, and often occur whilst playing sport. Treatment for an ACL injury includes physical therapy and surgery.

Medibank Chief Medical Officer Linda Swan said it’s up to parents and coaches to ensure children are warming up properly, to reduce the risk of injury.

“It’s great to see children and teenagers being active and playing team sports, however we don’t want to see children hospitalised with injuries that could have been avoided. They’re also looking at lengthy rehabilitation and time on the bench,” said Dr Swan.

The new Medibank data also shows since 2015, mouthguard claims for teenage girls’ have jumped by 20 per cent. During the same period, claims for boys increased by only eight per cent. Most mouthguards are claimed by parents in March, marking the start of the school sport season, with Medibank records also showing peak hospital admissions for ACL repairs occur during June and July.

This new data mirrors the rise in women playing contact sport. The Australian Football League (AFL) reported a 19 per cent increase in female participation across the sport in 2016, and a 21 per cent increase in girls playing AFL ‘Auskick’, for ages 5 to 12 years.

Dr Swan said it’s important to have the right protective gear when playing sport.

“Parents need to ensure children have protective gear such as mouthguards. Any injury is painful and frustrating, but dental injuries can be very expensive to fix,” added Dr Swan.

Medibank Better Health Foundation has also partnered with The Centre for Sport and Social Impact at La Trobe University in Melbourne to better understand injury prevention programs for adolescent female soccer players. Medibank believes research can be a catalyst for change in government policy and community practices.

Researchers found that teenage girls participating in soccer has dramatically increased, with evidence they’re four times more likely to sustain knee injuries than male players. This is due to the sudden stops, landing and rotation manoeuvres, specific to soccer.

The cost-effective and science-based ‘11+ Injury Prevention Program’, has already been successfully implemented around the world, and despite the evidence, La Trobe researchers wanted to discover the reasons for resistance to rolling out injury prevention programs in Australia. The study, recently published in the prestigious International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, found better education of coaches and players is critical, with government health agencies and sporting bodies needing to recognise the future health implications of ACL injuries for children.

This project, conducted in partnership with the Football Federation of Victoria and FIFA, received $60,826 in funding from the Medibank Better Health Foundation.