How common are ACL tears? Who is at risk?

How common are ACL tears? Who is at risk?

ACL tears are a very common knee injury. In the United States there are between 100,000 and 200,000 incidents every year. They’re common in athletes, especially those who do start-stop, sudden change in direction sports like football, basketball, soccer and volleyball. You’re also at a higher risk if you work a strenuous job that requires climbing, pivoting or jumping.

An ACL tear can happen to anyone at any age, but females are four times more likely to have an ACL tear than males. Experts have yet to agree on why females are more prone. Some think this is because of different physical conditioning, neuromuscular control, or muscle strength. Others think that it’s because of a difference in pelvis and lower leg alignment, looser ligaments, or how estrogen affects a woman’s ligaments. Differences in how women jump and land could also be a factor.