Deconditioned female college athletes who participate in sports such as basketball and soccer are at increased risk for injuries to which joint?

• A. Back
• B. Knee
• C. Wrist
• D. Neck

Answer: (B)

Deconditioning reduces lower-extremity strength, balance, and neuromuscular control, so the knee is less able to absorb forces and stabilize properly during high-risk movements. In basketball and soccer, athletes repeatedly sprint, jump, land, and change direction, loading the knee in flexion, valgus, and rotation. In women, anatomic and movement factors—such as a larger Q-angle, knee valgus during landing and cutting, and relatively weaker hamstrings compared with the quadriceps—further compromise dynamic knee stability and raise the risk of ACL and other knee injuries. Because of these combined effects, the knee becomes the joint most at risk in deconditioned female college athletes in these sports.