Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center

Intoduction

Grethe Myklebust will as the first PhD-candidate from the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center defend her dissertation.

The PhD-defence will take place in auditorium A at the Norwegian University of Sports and Physical Education on Thursday July 26th 2003 at 13.00 PM, with an introductory lecture by the candidate 10.00-10.45. The topic for her thesis is: ACL injuries in team handball from injury to prevention.

Grethe Myklebust is born June 8th 1958 and grew up in Trondheim. She is a physical therapist and a specialist in sports physical therapy. She has worked at Norwegian Institute of Sports Medicine (NIMI) since 1988, except two years at the National Sports Center. She has been active in team handball in elite level. She has been physical therapist for the female national teams in team handball and soccer, and now works with the beach volleyball teams.

Grethe Myklebust started her PhD studies at the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education in May 2000. Professor Roald Bahr at the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education has been her advisor. The members of the doctoral committee are professor Jon Karlsson MD PhD (1. opponent),Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, director dr. med. Arne Ekeland MD PhD (2. opponent),Martina Hansen Hospital and professor Kari Bø PhD (chair),Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education.

The dissertation consists of four studies two epidemiological studies, one study examining the long-term consequences of an ACL injury, and finally an ACL injury prevention study among female team handball players.

Female players have a two-fold higher injury rate compared with male players in the three upper divisions, and a five-fold higher injury rate in the elite division. ACL injuries most frequently occur in matches and among back players.

In the follow-up study of the consequences of an ACL injury 6-11 years after injury, 60% in the operatively treated group and 80% in the conservatively treated group returned to team handball at the same level. Approximately half of the players had functional problems with their knee, instability, reduced range of motion or pain. Twenty percent of the players re-injured their operatively treated ACL and 9% injured their opposite ACL, all in team handball.

In the ACL injury prevention study performed among female players in the three upper divisions, the players went through a 5-7 week training program, 15 minutes 3 times per week, consisting of floor exercises, wobble board exercises and balance mat exercises. The number of ACL injuries was registered in a control season and during two interventions seasons. The results indicate that it is possible to reduce the number of ACL injuries through specific neuromuscular training.