Acl Prevention Program In Rural Secondary School Aged Females

PURPOSE: Evidence suggests that neuromuscular training (NMT) is an effective means to accomplish the reduction of ACL injuries. However, there is a significant gap in knowledge on how patients in rural areas can influence the effect of NMT programs with the aim of ACL injury reduction. The purpose of this study was to examine the NMT outcomes measures of rural area secondary school aged females who participated in the ACL Strong® prevention program. METHODS: Thirteen females who attend a rural area secondary school (15.54 ± 0.44 years) participated in this cohort study. The Kinvent Delta Force Plates ® was used to measure each participant’s peak force, peak power, and peak deceleration. The baseline scores for each participant were collected and recorded doing a double leg hop, 3 times, with a 10 second rest in between jumps. Each volunteer was given a subscription to the ACL Strong ® program for the intervention. At the end of 6-weeks, a second baseline score was given using the same parameters as the initial data collection. These two data sets were compared for statistical significance. Two related sample t-tests were conducted to compare pre-post test scores on the Kinvent Delta Force Plates for both the left leg and right leg. RESULTS: A total of 13 adolescent female patients met the inclusion criteria for analysis (15.54 ± 0.44 years of age). The paired samples t-test revealed a significant difference (p = 0.05) in jump pre-test (p = -4.77569) and jump post-test (p = -1.01431). The paired samples t-test revealed a significant difference in left leg jump impulse pre-test (p = -2.99211) and left leg jump impulse post-test (p = -0.89789). No significant differences existed in the pre-test and post-test for the right leg jump impulse. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that left leg scores were trending towards significance, possibly due to a higher proportion of left-leg dominant participants. Future research should aim to include a larger sample size of athletes from rural communities to confirm these findings. This study is particularly important as it demonstrates the feasibility of implementing an ACL prevention program in a rural setting. It also highlights the potential for mitigating health disparities and improving healthcare access for this vulnerable population.