The female athlete

Female participation in sports has been increasing markedly in the last decades and with this increased participation, increasing injuries and illnesses not encountered before in the female athlete. Females have been found to have increased prevalence in several sports injuries when compared to males participating in the same sports. Among these are knee injuries including noncontact anterior cruciate ligament tears, patellofemoral pain syndrome, bone stress injuries, shoulder instability predisposing to rotator cuff injuries, breast injuries, and CAM-type femoroacetabular impingement. There is also evidence of an increased prevalence of concussions and poorer outcomes in the female athlete as compared to males. Anatomic, physiologic, and neuromuscular differences have been identified that increase the risk of injury in the female athlete. Particular attention needs to be given to those injuries, which may suggest the possible presence of energy deficiency which poses a risk for more severe, long-term health consequences in the female athlete.