Are shoes to blame for the rise of knee injuries?

[CGI_Ram]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/tag/_/name/inside-slant

Week 8 brought two more confirmed ACL tears in the NFL: Receivers Sidney Rice (Seattle Seahawks) and Travis Benjamin (Cleveland Browns). Based on research that ESPN Stats & Information introduced last week, there are now as many players with confirmed ACL injuries on injured reserve -- 32 -- as there were for the entire 2012 season.

(In 2011, the total was 25. These figures don't include players whose injuries were suspected torn ACLs but were never publicly confirmed.)

Why the spike? I suggested a couple of theories to start the discussion, including the league's emphasis on helmet-to-helmet penalties, which some players say has led to more low hits. Many football traditionalists are blaming the reduced offseason schedule, which could have left ligaments less conditioned when training camp began.

To that list, let's add a suggestion broached by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at a fan forum last weekend in London.

Asked about the number of ACL injuries this season, Goodell said the league is targeting shoes -- both the type and the choice relative to the playing surface -- as a possible culprit. (Thanks for the tip, @grantsales.)

Here's what Goodell said, via a partial transcript of the event: "In fact, what we have seen is that most of the ACL injuries are non-contact injuries. We have a Foot and Ankle Committee that looks at shoes and performance. One of the things that we are really focused on [is] … sometimes we are looking for the best-performing shoe and you are sacrificing something on the safety side.

"The other thing is playing surfaces -- making sure that we have a shoe that is proper for that surface. That is what we are studying."

Some of you, I'm sure, will place that response in context with the NFL's ongoing give-and-take with players over the safety issue. Players can pick their own shoe type, and theoretically, they could choose products that maximize speed at the expense of support. It's worth noting that the relationship between shoes and ACL injuries has recently been a topic in the NBA, most recently when Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose tore his ACL in 2012.

Is Goodell blaming players for the spike in torn ACLs? I don't think so, at least not explicitly. At this point, I think we should interpret his answer as an acknowledgment of the myriad possibilities, and that if there is blame to be assessed, it could deserve to go both ways.

 

[TK42-RAM]

We have the same debate with the Australian indigenous football game.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-puts-knee-blame-on-grounds-20130523-2k46a.html

They're saying down here that the hard grounds and the increasingly faster pace of the game is enticing players to change direction prior to them properly stabilizing upon landing. Been some research down here that plyometrics and programming the athlete's neural responses will assist also.

I think genetics has a lot to do with it as well -- many athletes are predisposed to knee injuries due to their make up and weaknesses that they may have physically or neurally will make them more susceptible to an acl injury given a particular scenario.

I also heard that the frequency of acl injuries are increasingly less when the game is played on a wet surface - so when the stops on the shoe sink into the grass and provide some foot movement the chance of buckling the knee is less. Also strapping the ankle is an issue.

So to the NFL -- played nowadays more and more on the hard unforgiving Astroturf surface with players ankles strapped tightly to prevent ankle injury and the pace becoming faster - it stands to reason acl injury will increase.

 

[had]

I'm no expert on these kinds of things, but I find them interesting. (As I type this, that Stormtrooper is doing that obnoxious pelvic thrust right above. Wow dude.)

Maybe some of this has to do with guys getting too big in the upper body, and not working the legs enough in the weight room? That doesn't sound right. Just a thought.

 

[-X-]

(As I type this, that Stormtrooper is doing that obnoxious pelvic thrust right above. Wow dude.)

That's pretty hilarious if you ask me.
Naughty stormtroopers...

 

[TK42-RAM]

I'm no expert on these kinds of things, but I find them interesting. (As I type this, that Stormtrooper is doing that obnoxious pelvic thrust right above. Wow dude.)

lol --- I'll change it for you ...

This better ??

 

[TK42-RAM]

Maybe some of this has to do with guys getting too big in the upper body, and not working the legs enough in the weight room? That doesn't sound right. Just a thought.

I think that has merit -- if your core doesn't increase its strength while you increase your upper body weight/strength then it will place more pressure on the ability for your knees and ankles to maintain stability. I feel quad , glute and abdominal strength need to be increased at a superior rate than any gains in upper body strength

~ Dr.TK42-RAM :wink:

 

[-X-]

I think that has merit -- if your core doesn't increase its strength while you increase your upper body weight/strength then it will place more pressure on the ability for your knees and ankles to maintain stability. I feel quad , glute and abdominal strength need to be increased at a superior rate than any gains in upper body strength

~ Dr.TK42-RAM :wink:

Seems to me that the bigger these guys get in the lower body, the harder it's going to be on tendons and ligaments. Think about it in terms of physics. A muscle group (giant thighs) moves at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force. The bigger these muscle groups get, the harder it's going to be for the tendons and ligaments to hold them together (or in place) when they're in motion. Not a ton of elasticity or strength in those connective tissues.

 

[…..]

I guess I am a traditionalist....my thinking is that prima donna work outs and pre season's are the root of many evils.

I have yet to see conclusive and repetative visual evidence that the policy against hitting high is contributing to lower body injuries.

 

[-X-]

I guess I am a traditionalist....my thinking is that prima donna work outs and pre season's are the root of many evils.

I have yet to see conclusive and repetative visual evidence that the policy against hitting high is contributing to lower body injuries.

They had some former players talking about that on the halftime show last weekend. I don't remember which ones. Sharpe and Marino, maybe. But they were saying that they'd rather get hit high - even the head - than have someone go for their legs because of the new 'can't hit 'em high' rule.

 

[CGI_Ram]

They had some former players talking about that on the halftime show last weekend. I don't remember which ones. Sharpe and Marino, maybe. But they were saying that they'd rather get hit high - even the head - than have someone go for their legs because of the new 'can't hit 'em high' rule.

I saw that too. Marino said it for sure.

 

[…..]

my knees feel vulnerable just thinking about it.....I'm with them. Even though its been 20 years since I put on pads, I'd also rather be hit high.

Having said that....most of the injuries I've seen have no been from low hits.

 

[TK42-RAM]

Seems to me that the bigger these guys get in the lower body, the harder it's going to be on tendons and ligaments. Think about it in terms of physics. A muscle group (giant thighs) moves at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force. The bigger these muscle groups get, the harder it's going to be for the tendons and ligaments to hold them together (or in place) when they're in motion. Not a ton of elasticity or strength in those connective tissues.

maybe -- if the body is trained in the correct manner with muscle building though - it should be ok .

The acl is most often stretched or torn (or both) by a sudden twisting motion (for example, when the feet are planted one way and the knees are turned another). So if the player does beach weights to look good and look strong and gets big in calves quads hamstrings and doesn't do the repetitive stuff in the preseason to train his body to move in ways he would out on the football field then most certainly he is at risk -- however greater muscle mass coupled with correct neuro training can assist to ease tendon demand as well as become a stronger / better player.

 

[PhxRam]

Bah..

When your number comes up, nothing you can do about it.

 

[RaminExile]

As a former linebacker there is nothing I used to hate more than a cut block that I didn't have time to react to - ouch. I'd much rather have a full back come and thump me up high in my stupid thick skull...

 

[fearsomefour]

Seems to me that the bigger these guys get in the lower body, the harder it's going to be on tendons and ligaments. Think about it in terms of physics. A muscle group (giant thighs) moves at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force. The bigger these muscle groups get, the harder it's going to be for the tendons and ligaments to hold them together (or in place) when they're in motion. Not a ton of elasticity or strength in those connective tissues.

If guy are getting injured with these types of injuries early in camp it usually has to do with existing imbalances (movement imbalances ect.) not being addressed and corrected. A ton of work being done with straight line work, not enough with lateral movement, lateral explosion and change of direction work (this is coming from a trainer that works with some pro guys; R Bush and Incognito among them that I know)....and then there is just the bad luck of it. If there is an uptic in these injuries that is sustained for a couple of years then you can look for a cause. A spike one year is not indicitive of anything I dont think.
You bring up a great point about the connective tissue and small muscle groups. I work with baseball pitchers, mostly high school guys. It is very hard to get them to understand the kind of weight training they should be doing and why doing their shoulder work (rotator cuff) is NOT to excede 5 lbs. Knucklheads.

 

[DR RAM]

I think it's a combo of a lot of things, size, power, and speed have all increased exponentially, but shoes/traction, with the addition of turf, seem to be the killer combo to me. Regular cleats, and natural grass, the grass gives when the torque applied exceeds the limit, and the foot/leg will just slide out, but turf really doesn't give, so all of that torque is transferred to the ankles, and knees. Take it from a doctor:cheese:

 

[LosAngelesRams]

I'm no expert on these kinds of things, but I find them interesting. (As I type this, that Stormtrooper is doing that obnoxious pelvic thrust right above. Wow dude.)

Maybe some of this has to do with guys getting too big in the upper body, and not working the legs enough in the weight room? That doesn't sound right. Just a thought.

LMFAO

 

[V3]

I think it's a combination of many things like the new rules, the shoes could definitely be an issue, continued advancements in nutrition/suppliments/weight training, etc. The guys are getting too big and strong. Changing the shoes is an easy enough fix but I don't know how you can tell someone not to workout too much. The new rule is something that's going to have to be talked about with the NFLPA either in the offseason or in the next CBA. Maybe make it a requirement for all players to wear knee braces prophylactically to help protect them? Other than that, the only thing I can suggest is increasing the roster size to compensate for the increase in injuries because I do think this is something that's going to become the norm.

 

[LesBaker]

What rule says you can't hit someone high? I think that's make believe from a few players complaining about fines for leading with their helmet of hitting another player in the head.

As far as the knee injuries increasing I have a different theory. PEDs are playing a very big role and I'd bet big coin on that. They don't make your tendons and ligaments stronger in the same way they make muscles bigger and stronger. And let's not kid ourselves players are huge compared to what they were just 15 years ago and it isn't just the weight training and diet because that stuff has been in place for a long time. The easy access to the designer drugs is playing a role in injuries and will play a role in negative health issues later in many players lives.