Cleats May Be a Risk Factor for ACL Tears in Female Lacrosse and Soccer Players

Investigations into ACL tears in female athletes have led researchers to identify modifiable risk factors, including shoe type and playing surface. A study of 256 female athletes found that those who tore their ACLs were more likely to be wearing cleats, with 75% of participants in this group wearing cleats compared to 55.5% of age-matched athletes with normal ACLs.

Key Takeaways:

• The study found a significant association between ACL tear and the type of shoe worn by female lacrosse and soccer players.
• Cleats were worn by 75% of participants who tore their ACLs, compared to 55.5% of age-matched athletes with normal ACLs.
• The study recommends further exploration for a shoe that prevents shoe wear from being an additional risk factor for ACL injuries in female athletes.
• Spencer Williams and colleagues conducted the case-control study, which included 128 female athletes who had torn their ACLs and 128 age- and sport-matched athletes who had never torn their ACL.
• The researchers identified sports, level of competition, mechanism of injury, type of shoe, type of stud in the shoe, and playing surface as potential predictors of ACL tears.

Statistics:

• 75% of participants who tore their ACLs wore cleats.
• 55.5% of age-matched athletes with normal ACLs wore cleats.
• 128 female athletes who had torn their ACLs were included in the study.
• 128 age- and sport-matched athletes with normal ACLs were included in the study.

Sources:

• Cleats May Be a Risk Factor for ACL Tears in Female Lacrosse and Soccer Players. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 2025;13(10):23259671251365603.
• Spencer Williams et al. Pinterest.