From the Popular Press: What Your Patients are Reading:

Tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)—the knee ligament that connects the thighbone to the shinbone—is a common injury for athletes. According to recent research, the pain of the injury and the trauma of surgery to repair the torn ACL are not the only troubling consequences of this injury. In a study conducted at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, women who underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered significant bone loss surrounding the knee. This bone loss was even evident in women who underwent physical rehabilitation, and was still present 2 years after surgery. Bearing weight on the operative limb early on after surgery can help prevent the disparity in bone mass between the knees. Patients should try to avoid favoring the nonoperative limb, as such behavior leads to bone loss in the other leg. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery reports that women are responsible for 2 to 8 times more cases of ACL injury than men, with roughly 38,000 cases in women each year. Strength training and conditioning can help prevent female athletes from tearing their ACL. Also, women should be careful to not jump full-force into a sport without first being in the proper shape.

Read the full text of the article on healthday.com