Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries of the knee are common in youth soccer players, and show an even higher prevalence in female soccer players. Clinical practice guidelines recommend ACL injury prevention programs (ACL-IPP) to reduce injury risk, yet implementation in amateur youth soccer is low, reducing actual real-world effectiveness. This trial is a pragmatic effectiveness trial for ACL injury prevention for amateur youth soccer players, using a knowledge translation intervention with the Knowledge-to-Action Framework.
ACL injury prevention programs (ACL-IPP) are exercise programs recommended by clinical practice guidelines that have been shown to reduce the risk of an ACL injury. However, implementation of these programs is low, which reduces the real-world effectiveness of these programs. This project will assess a knowledge translation intervention with youth soccer programs for implementation of ACL-IPPs utilizing the Knowledge-to-Action Framework. The main educational intervention will be a knowledge translation (KT) intervention between the researchers, and coaches/players of youth soccer programs within the state of Michigan. Specifics of the knowledge translation intervention will or may include focus groups, surveys, in-person training, video handouts, and paper handouts. This will be compared to coaches/teams that are offered a handout that describes an evidence-based ACL-IPP.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
671
The KT intervention utilizes the communications between the teams and the researchers to promote implementation of the ACL-IPPs. The meetings will provide opportunities for mutually beneficial learning from the researchers, and feedback from the coaches on how to best implement strategies through local barriers in order to facilitate necessary changes to promote ACL-IPP usage while adhering to clinical practice guideline recommendations.
Educational handout describing a commonly cited ACL-IPP.
University of Michigan-Flint
Flint, Michigan, United States
Uptake of ACL-IPP
Reported frequency of implementation of ACL-IPP
Time frame: up to 2 years
Number of ACL injuries
Time frame: up to 2 years
Change in 5-10-5 test time
Average change in 5-10-5 (Pro Agility) test time
Time frame: 2-4 months
Change in horizontal jump distance
Average change in forward jumping distance
Time frame: 2-4 months
Change in 10 meter forward run time
Average change in time spent running 10 meters
Time frame: 2-4 months
Number of time-loss lower extremity injuries
Number of reported injuries to the foot, ankle, knee, and hip which cause a player to miss time with team
Time frame: up to 2 years
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.