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Mercy orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kamala Littleton

Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Kamala Littleton Discusses Options For Women With Knee Injuries On WBAL-TV11's "Woman's Doctor"

Knee injuries are more common in women than in men.

Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, are at least three to eight times more common, especially in female athletes, statistics show.

Sara Vallar, 21, has been cheerleading since she was 5 and just recently injured herself during a routine.

"When I came down a second time, my knee popped and I fell to the ground and cried," she said.

Mercy Medical Center orthopedic surgeonDr. Kamala Littleton, Director of Women's Orthopedics, said that's almost a classic story of an ACL injury. She said there's a combination of reasons as to why women suffer more injuries than men.

"Hamstrings aren't quite as strong in women, for the most part, so ligaments play a more important role in landing than in men," she said.

A wider pelvis, a higher center of gravity and hormones also play a role.

"A couple of studies have come out saying that hormones do play a role -- that women athletes tend to get ACL injuries more often when they're in the ovulation phase of their cycle, when estrogen is high," Dr. Littleton said.

So how do you avoid injuries?

According to Dr. Littleton, to build up to a sport with strengthening exercises and don't do the same thing repetitively. Do some cross training and find a program that emphasizes balance.

For a knee to be stable enough for sports after injury, surgery is often the answer.

Vallar had her ACL rebuilt almost six months ago, and while she still has some knee pain, she's doing well.

"I'm almost ready to test myself and get back into cheerleading. I'm a little nervous," she said.

To view Dr. Littleton's interview with WBAL-TV11, click this link: http://www.wbaltv.com/womansdoctor/23126015/detail.html.