Changes in Health-Related Quality of Life and Knee Function After Knee Injury in Young Female Athletes

Background: Recent literature has called for greater attention to evidence-based practice in sports medicine with the documen-tation of overall status and impairments following injury. The prospective documentation of impairments associated with knee inju-ries in female athletes regarding their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and knee function (KF) of high school and collegiate athletes is limited. Assessing the effect knee injuries have on young female athletes may allow clinicians to better understand the perspectives of the athletes who sustain these injuries. Purpose: To document the changes over 12 months in self-reported HRQoL and KF in young females who have sustained a knee injury. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A convenience sample of 242 females (mean age, 17.4 ± 2.4 years) who injured their knee participating in sport or recreational activities was utilized. Injuries were categorized as anterior cruciate ligament tears (ACL), anterior knee pain (AKP)