Case Study

2345 PURPOSE: It is well documented that post-pubescent female athletes suffer ACL injuries at a rate four to six-fold greater than male athletes in the same sports. During and following puberty, coincident with dramatic increases in height and weight (growth spurt), boys also have a significant spurt in neuromuscular performance measures, while many girls do not. Lack of a neuromuscular spurt may be related to increased ACL injury risk. Our hypothesis was that specialized neuromuscular training could be used at the onset of puberty to induce a neuromuscular spurt in female athletes. METHODS: One prepubertal female (Tanner 1; 10.2 yrs) and one pubertal (Tanner 2; 11.3 yrs) were pre and post tested to measure the effects of 8 weeks of specialized dynamic neuromuscular training (SDNT) 2X/week that consisted plyometric, agility movement, core strengthening, balance, resistance and speed technique (including retrograde) training. RESULTS:Prepubertal female: Height (pre test value, percent change)135 cm, 0%; weight 33 kg, 0%; vertical jump 25.4 cm, +15%; postural sway on stabilometer dominant leg (DOM) 3.4cm, −56%, non-dominant leg (NDOM) 3.3cm, −45%; isokinetic knee extension DOM 27ft-lbs, +18%, NDOM 25ft-lbs, +26%; isokinetic knee flexion DOM 10 ft-lbs, +110% NDOM 10ft-lbs, +113%. Pubertal female: Height 153 cm, +0.6%; weight 34 kg, +4%; vertical jump 40.6 cm, +12.5%; postural sway DOM 3.3cm, −27%, non-dominant(NDOM) 4.3cm, −56%; isokinetic knee extension DOM 38 ft-lbs, +35%, NDOM 44 ft-lbs, +21%; isokinetic knee flexion DOM 23 ft-lbs, 0%, NDOM 20 ft-lbs +71%. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that both prior to and during puberty, coincident with dramatic increases in height and weight, a significant spurt in neuromuscular performance measures can be achieved in girls with SDNT. This induced neuromuscular spurt may decrease differences in neuromuscular control of the knee between adolescent male and female athletes. These findings may have ramifications for the development of more targeted and effective neuromuscular training. SDNT has the potential to reduce the gender gap in neuromuscular performance and ACL injury incidence in adolescent female athletes. Controlled training studies are required to evaluate the efficacy of SDNT in females at specific maturational stages.