AFLW players are about five times more likely to rupture an anterior cruciate ligament than their male counterparts, leading sports medico Peter Brukner says.
The opening two weeks of the NAB AFLW season have been blighted by a spate of season-ending knee injuries.
Western Bulldog Daria Bannister ruptured an ACL in round one and Carlton captain Brianna Davey suffered the same injury last Friday night against Greater Western Sydney.
Bulldogs youngster Isabel Huntington also suffered a serious knee injury in Sunday's win over Brisbane, with scans expected to confirm she too has ruptured an ACL.
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Brukner told RSN radio on Monday morning this run of knee injuries could largely be explained by the fact women are significantly more vulnerable to ACL ruptures than men.
"(Women) are something like five times more likely to tear their (anterior) cruciate than their male counterparts with equivalent activity," Brukner said.
"There are number of reasons for it. The main reason is just mechanics, in that females have a wide pelvis and therefore are more bow-legged.
"There's more of an inclination for their knees to fall in when they twist, so that makes them more susceptible to doing an anterior cruciate.
"That's pretty well recognised the world over. There's a lot of research that's come out of female handball players in Scandinavian countries and female soccer players in the US."
Brukner said women's sporting teams now put a lot of emphasis on teaching landing techniques that could help prevent ACL injuries, with players instructed to land with their knees flexed rather than locked.
Carlton skipper Brianna Davey ruptured her ACL against the Giants. Picture: AFL Photos
