Call for papers - ACL injury and rehabilitation in female athletes

Guest Editors

Angela Blasimann, PhD, Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Health Professions, Switzerland
Nicky van Melick, PhD, Sports & Orthopedics Research Center, Anna TopSupport, The Netherlands

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 18 September 2025

BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation is calling for submissions to our Collection on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and rehabilitation in female athletes. This Collection invites researchers to contribute their work on understanding the complexities of ACL injuries and rehabilitation in female athletes. We seek to showcase research that explores biomechanical, neuromuscular, hormonal, and psychological aspects related to ACL injuries, with a focus on developing targeted prevention and rehabilitation strategies for female athletes while ensuring safe return to sports. By advancing our understanding of these factors, this Collection aims to improve the management and outcomes of ACL injuries in female athletes.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Angela Blasimann, PhD, Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Health Professions, Switzerland

Angela Blasimann is an experienced physiotherapist, well-trained in orthopedics, sports physical therapy, and active rehabilitation. She finished her PhD on neuromuscular control after ACL injury at the University of Antwerp in 2023. Since 2020, she has been working as Head of the Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy program and Deputy Head of the neuromuscular control research group at the Bern University of Applied Sciences. Her primary research interests include the quantitative and clinically oriented assessment of human movement, novel technologies for physical therapy, and rehabilitation after ACL injuries. She is also a lecturer and assessor in Contemporary Pilates.

Nicky van Melick, PhD, Sports & Orthopedics Research Center, Anna TopSupport, The Netherlands

Nicky van Melick is a Dutch researcher in sports orthopedics and a former sports physiotherapist. As a physiotherapist, she solely focused on patients with knee injuries, many of whom had an ACL injury or reconstruction. She completed her PhD in 2019 with her thesis "Return to play after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: It’s time to reconstruct rehabilitation" at the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Currently, van Melick is working as a post-doctoral researcher at the Sports & Orthopedics Research Center of Anna TopSupport in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Her main field of research remains athletes with ACL injuries, particularly focusing on physical and psychological recovery after ACL reconstruction, and rehabilitation and return to sports in youth athletes.

About the Collection

BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation is calling for submissions to our Collection on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and rehabilitation in female athletes. This Collection aims to explore the complexities and nuances surrounding the prevention, management, and recovery associated with specific sports-related ACL injuries in female athletes. We seek high-quality research that addresses both the physiological and psychological aspects of these injuries, offering insights that can lead to improved outcomes for affected individuals.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

Advances in surgical and non-surgical treatment options
Rehabilitation protocols and their efficacy
Long-term outcomes and return-to-sport strategies
Psychological impact and mental health considerations
Gender-specific risk factors and prevention strategies
Role of technology in ACL injury prevention and rehabilitation

By gathering an array of studies, this Collection aims to foster a comprehensive understanding that spans from the initial injury through to full recovery, including the often-overlooked psychological components that play a critical role in a female athlete's rehabilitation journey. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies that contribute to a holistic approach to ACL injury management and rehabilitation, emphasizing evidence-based practices and innovative interventions.

We encourage researchers and clinicians from various disciplines to submit their work, promoting an interdisciplinary dialogue that can drive forward our collective knowledge and improve care provided to female athletes.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "ACL injury and rehabilitation in female athletes" from the dropdown menu.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.