Andrew D. Pearle, MD, chief of sports medicine at HSS, shares strategies to help teen athletes prevent ACL injuries. 

According to Dr. Pearle, most ACL ruptures occur when an athlete moves in a way that involves a change of direction, like dodging another player or landing after a jump. Agility-based sports — like soccer, football, and basketball — have higher rates. Girls experience ACL tears up to eight times more frequently than boys. High school girls playing year-round soccer have the highest risk of all — an alarming 16% to 18% chance of rupturing an ACL.

Knee injuries are not an inevitable part of playing sports. Decades of research have shown that targeted exercises to improve agility-based body control can reduce the risk of ACL tears and other knee injuries by 50% to 80% explained Dr. Pearle. 

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