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Let’s Move Quad Cities: Why Women Are More Prone To ACL Tears

A local doctor explains the shape and construction of their bodies can make women, in general, more susceptible to ACL injury than men.

It is a common injury, but one that can detrimental.

Since she was 9 years old, Gabby Pauwels and soccer have gone hand-in-hand... or more like foot-in-foot.

"I've just always loved the sport and playing," said Gabby.

However, last year when she was playing kickball during gym, she says, "I felt a pop, and I felt like I lost all the feeling in my leg."

"We kind of iced it and kept her off it for a few days, and then the next weekend we went ahead and said, 'You know, go ahead and play.'  But she's like, 'Mom, I just can't, it keeps popping," explained Gabby's mom, Megan.

The next step was a visit to ORA Orthopedics, where Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Waqas Hussain said they did some tests and determined that Gabby had torn her ACL.

"It can be a pretty serious injury, and especially for someone who is young and active, it can hinder their recovery for sports and activities," said Dr. Hussain.

It's not just athletes. Dr. Hussain said women generally are more prone to ACL tears than men.

"It's really the way the body is put together," he explained. "Women tend to have a different kind of muscle structure or a muscle balance or a muscle memory. Certain ways the hips are shaped, and also the knees are oriented, can put them at a higher risk for having injuries."

However, new advancements in technology are helping them heal better and faster.

"Over the last ten years, we've - as a science - made a lot of advancements in the ACL in terms of putting the tissue or fixing the ACL in the right spot. We've also determined that, in young athletes, using your own tissue is actually better than using a sub tissue.

"So, for Gabby we were able to use the latest techniques, and able to give her the chance to return to sports as quickly as possible, and also to minimize the chance that she's going to re-injure this knee again in the future," the doctor said.

Gabby was able to get back onto the field two days before her first game.

Now, she wears a knee brace, but says she feels stronger than ever and is ready for spring tryouts for United Township High School, where she is a sophomore.

"I mean, I always have that fear, 'What if I re-tear it again?  Will I never be able to play again?'  But I mostly forget the fear when I'm playing, and I just play like any other game," Gabby said.

"Our goal is to try to get people to be active, and try to get people to be healthy and happy," said Dr. Hussain. "Whether that's playing on a basketball court or a soccer field or playing with your kids at home, all of those things are things that we try to get people to do; exactly what they want to do."

"If we can help be part of the process, we're always happy doing that," Dr. Hussain said.

*Let’s Move QC is a new segment on WQAD. It’s all about being the best version of you by introducing viewers to real people in the Quad Cities who are doing just that, with a little extra help from the surgeons at ORA Orthopedics. The stories air the last Monday of every month during News 8 at 5 p.m.

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