Highlighting the importance of sports injury prevention
Arthritis Australia has highlighted the importance of making sports injury prevention a priority in the National Sport Plan being developed by the Australian government. Sports injuries are a leading cause of osteoarthritis, accounting for around 20% of osteoarthritis of the knee. In particular, rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a major supporting ligament in the knee, leads to knee osteoarthritis within 10 to 15 years in 50 to 70% of cases. Most ACL injuries are sports related and occur in adolescents and young adults. As a result they can develop osteoarthritis of the knee at a relatively young age, substantially increasing their risk of disability and joint replacement compared to their peers.
Yet up to 60% of ACL and other lower limb injuries can be prevented with simple strength and agility training that can be built into normal sports warm-up routines. A sports injury prevention program based on these strategies could be implemented by the Australian Sports Commission at minimal cost, but would save the health system hundreds of millions of dollars by reducing sports injuries and the community burden of osteoarthritis.