AANA24 Hip All-Access Pass-CONCURRENT SCIENTIFIC SESSION 5C: The Female Athlete

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The session "The Female Athlete" featured expert orthopedic surgeons discussing unique considerations in female athletes' sports injuries and treatments. Julia Lee emphasized that joint laxity does not always signify pathology, but overlaps with symptomatic instability, especially in hypermobile female athletes. Proper physical exam and understanding patients’ baseline laxity profiles are critical in tailoring interventions. Dr. Mary McCulloch examined ACL injuries, noting that females sustain non-contact ACL tears up to eight times more than males due to anatomical (greater Q angle, smaller ACL cross-section) and hormonal factors (estrogen fluctuations impacting collagen). Injury prevention programs targeting neuromuscular control and landing mechanics, especially pre-puberty, are effective. Psychological readiness also influences return to play. Jamie Lynch highlighted that female shoulder dislocations often show more capsular than bony pathology than males, leading to different clinical courses and surgical considerations. Stabilization surgery tailored to this pathology can achieve outcomes comparable to males. Jocelyn Whitstein focused on UCL injuries in female gymnasts, underscoring acute traumatic patterns differing from attritional baseball injuries, with good success from primary repair. Sport-specific rehab protocols enable safer, timely return to elite competition. Dr. Hagan discussed hip micro-instability in female athletes where excessive hip motion, common in sports like ballet, causes labral and capsular damage, necessitating careful imaging, non-surgical strengthening, and sometimes surgery. Finally, Julie Dodds highlighted bone quality issues in sport surgeries, especially osteoporosis/osteopenia in females. Early intervention via nutrition, hormone management, and physical activity in adolescence is crucial for durable bone health and optimizing surgical outcomes. The panel also discussed complex case management emphasizing attentive history-taking and individualized treatment, including revision ACL reconstruction challenges and subtle shoulder pathologies impacting return to sport. Overall, the presentations underscored the importance of recognizing sex-specific anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics to optimize diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation in female athletes.

Asset Caption

Introduction by Moderators: Karen M. Sutton, M.D., Leah C. Brown, M.D.

Keywords

female athletes

sports injuries

orthopedic surgery

joint laxity

ACL injuries

neuromuscular control

shoulder dislocation

UCL injuries

hip micro-instability

bone quality