Women at Greater Risk for Knee Injury

Published Online: Sunday, September 1, 2002   [ Request Print ]

Women are more likely than men to develop knee injuries because the muscles supporting the knees may be less efficient in women than in men, according to a study reported in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Researchers used tests to measure knee activity and distortion during muscle response in 23 volunteers. Although contracting the knee muscles decreased bone shifting in both men and women, the corresponding percentage increase in knee stiffening caused by the contraction was greater in men than in women. Men?s potentially greater muscle strength and height did not affect these findings.