Academy takes part in 'joint' study Published Oct. 6, 2005 U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) -- The U.S. Air Force Academy has joined forces with civilian universities on a $2.8-million study of risk factors for a common knee injury among athletes and servicemembers. The prospective cohort study focuses on human movement risk factors involved in injuries to the knee’s anterior cruciate ligament. Most ACL injuries are sports related and most occur when there is no direct physical contact between athletes. These injuries are also common in military training. The study, led by researchers at the University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Research Center, Duke University and Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and funded by the National Institutes of Health, began enrolling 1,600 Air Force cadets this past summer. The study will continue over a four-year period. “We need to not just know how to repair ACL injuries, we also need to know how to prevent them,” said Maj. (Dr.) John Tokish, an orthopedic surgeon and lead investigator for the study here. “This study will give us that knowledge.” Similar studies have been initiated at the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy. “A common protocol is being following followed across all three academies so all the data can ultimately be combined,” said Maj. Tim Mazzola, the co-lead investigator for the study. Upon entry into the study, cadets complete a baseline questionnaire that collects basic demographic data, as well as information about their injury history and recent sports participation. Being able to enroll a large number of physically active men and women here is what makes the study possible, Major Mazzola said. Investigators are able to track over time any ACL injuries that may occur, as these will be treated in the academy’s central orthopedics department. Funding for the study comes from the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Disorders, a component of the NIH. The American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine provided funds for a preliminary “pilot” investigation conducted in 2002 to 2003.