New reason for women's ACL injuries being studied as research ramps up

Research is on ‘an upward curve’ and the next five years could be vital in trying to limit cruciate ruptures

Michelle Agyemang of England leaves the pitch on a stretcher during the Women's International Friendly with Australia at Pride Park on October 28, 2025 in Derby, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Players who compete in the top two levels of German women’s football are four times more likely to rupture their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) than their male counterparts, according to the German Football Association (DFB).

The governing body has funded a central injury and illness registry in women’s football for three years. So far in the Frauen Bundesliga, Germany’s top flight, there have been a reported seven ACL injuries 10 games into the current campaign. In the men’s Bundesliga, meanwhile, there have been three such injuries.