West Virginia University Hospitals East

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SMART Clinic ACL Prevention Program

1. ACL Prevention Program:
   1. Studies have shown that female soccer players have a risk of sustaining an ACL injury two to eight times greater males. Studies have also shown that adding neuromuscular and proprioceptive exercises to a training program can reduce the number of ACL injuries by two to four times.
   2. The S.M.A.R.T Clinic utilizes the PEP (Prevent injury, Enhance Performance) Program from the Santa Monica Sports Medicine group in California. It is a highly specific 15-minute training session that replaces the traditional warm-up. It was developed by a team of physicians, physical therapists, athletic trainers and coaches. The program's main focus is educating players and coaches on strategies to avoid injury and includes specific exercises targeting problems as identified in previous research studies. This prevention program consists of a warm-up, stretching, strengthening, plyometrics, and sport specific agilities to address potential deficits in the strength and coordination of the stabilizing muscles around the knee joint. Focus on proper technique and mechanics are key to achieving the goals of this program and avoiding injury