AS men ogle - or, some say, appreciate - the shape of a woman, spare a thought for the pain it could bring her.

No, not so much the indignity of being gawked at, but the trauma she could suffer because of her body shape.

You see, it has been medically established that because of the way they are 'built', women are more prone to picking up ailments like 'runner's knee' or a tear to the ACL.

That's the anterior cruciate ligament - one of four ligaments that help stabilise the knee joint.

It's not something to be taken lightly and, according to specialists in sports medicine, an ACL tear could be a traumatic experience.

Four years ago, Fang Shi Han developed 'runner's knee' while training with the cross-country team in her junior college. She had the classic symptoms - pain to the front of the knee or behind the kneecap.

The 20-year-old undergraduate told The New Paper: 'I had over-trained for a competition.

'And because of the injury, I had to take a two-month break before I could continue with my training.'

Why does this condition affect more women then men?

Again, according to specialists, numerous factors could bring on what is scientifically known as 'Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome'.

But most of it has to do with the woman's shape or how she is built.

Women generally have wider hips than men, causing their legs to taper inwards at the knees.

As the knee is not in line with the thigh and shin bones, there is extra stress in a woman's kneecaps, making her more prone to 'runner's knee'.

Dr Jason Chia, 34, of Changi General Hospital, was a guest speaker at a two-day sports symposium at Temasek Polytechnic earlier this month.

PREVENTION As associate consultant sports physician at the Changi Sports Medicine Centre, Dr Chia was invited to give a talk on prevention of injuries in different sports to an audience of about 200 student athletes.

To the women in the audience, it would have been an eye-opener of a talk.

Later when interviewed by The New Paper at his clinic, he delved deeper into the subject: 'Because of the alignment of the knees, there is a tendency for women to run in a 'knock-kneed' manner.

'(The misalignment) can cause the knee cap to tilt out and that increases the risk of women suffering runner's knee.'

Dealing with the ACL, he noted that a woman's 'landing pattern' makes her more susceptible to tearing the ligament.

'The landing patterns between males and females tend to differ, so women are more prone to ACL injuries,' said Dr Chia.

With the kneecap not fitting nicely in the groove within the knee, it may tend to tilt. This could cause pressure in the kneecap to be concentrated on one side when landing on one's feet, increasing the possibility of tearing the ACL.

People who play contact sports such as netball and football can suffer from ACL tears, as these sports require a lot of jumping and sudden changes in direction.

The stress generated by the incorrect alignment of the leg bones can result in the tearing of the ACL in such high-impact sports.

But women are not safe even if they participate only in non-contact sports such as running.

A female runner with an incorrect landing technique is also prone to tearing her ACL.

Whereas 'runner's knee' is an injury due to overuse, sustained over a long period of time, an ACL tear is a traumatic injury caused by force applied to the body.

These should be of concern to Singapore women, especially now that more and more are adopting a sporting lifestyle.

According to the 2005 National Sports Participation Survey conducted by the Singapore Sports Council, 42 per

HOW WOMEN CAN LESSEN INJURY RISK

THERE are four preventive measures women can take to lessen the risk of tearing their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Dr Jason Chia, an associate consultant sports physician at Changi Sports Medicine Centre, said the areas to target were balance (proprioceptive), strength (concentric), power (plyometric) and landing techniques.

The New Paper found a lot of online information on easy and inexpensive ways to strengthen your knee in these four areas.

But be reminded of the other 'internal and external factors' that affect injury prevention in general, too.

'Internal factors' would be age, gender, physical strength and flexibility.

'External factors' would include the physical environment, equipment needed, training load and the nature of the sport.

Otherwise, here are some exercises to help lessen the risks of tearing your ACL.

To improve balance and strengthen the muscles supporting the knee, stand on one leg, put the other foot behind the knee of the standing leg and balance for 60 seconds with your eyes closed. Repeat with the other leg.

Try 20 to 25 seconds of ankle bounces (bouncing up and down off the toes with slightly bent knees and raised arms), or 20 to 25 seconds of tuck jumps on a cushioned floor (mats or carpets).

These are examples of plyometric training.

Always try to land on the balls (front) of both feet, bending your knees to 15-20 degrees on initial landing, and then continue to bend not more than 40 degrees.

As the knees bend during landing, each knee-cap should be positioned directly over the middle of each foot.

Those with existing medical conditions should consult their doctors before taking up any new sport.

A common misconception is that stretching muscles and joints will prevent injury in every sport. But stretching improves joint flexibility and prevents muscle tear in only certain sports.

It is more important to stretch before and after sports, such as football and basketball, where tendons need to be flexible in order to prevent shocks.

And this doesn't apply to just women.

This story first appeared in The New Paper 29, 2007.