Women are 2 to 4 times more likely to get an ACL (Anterior cruciate ligament) rupture than men involved in the same sports!
During sporting activities, female athletes demonstrate higher rates of overall knee injuries compared to males because women tend to land in more knee valgus position before and at impact than men (who land in knee varus position).
Increasing valgus positioning by 5° from a neutral alignment can increase the load on the ACL by 6 times!
Why do women have slight genum valgum? Because of the two main reasons:
Wider pelvis (increased Q-angle) - creates additional stress on the later side of the patella -> femur and tibia rotate inward causing excessive foot pronation (flat foot) to maintain balance.
Weak gluteus medius muscle - it is the strongest abductor of the femur, and plays a significant role in withstanding "shock waves" from walking, running, jumping, etc.
Although there is nothing we can do with wider pelvis, additional gluteus medius strength may stabilize the leg and pelvis during landing, limiting valgus knee motion and potentially preventing ACL of knee injury.
If it's hard for you to hold your leg up when lying in the side position, or if you're standing on one leg and the hip of the lifted leg drops down, it means your gluteus medius is too weak and you have an increased risk of getting a knee injury while running or playing sports. Don't neglect your gluteus medius, especially if you're a woman in sports!