Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries: Prevention

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Prevention

The best way to prevent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries is to stretch and strengthen the leg muscles, especially the front and back muscles of the thigh (quadriceps and hamstrings).

Other precautions that may help prevent ACL injuries include:

• Avoid wearing shoes with cleats in contact sports.
• Avoid wearing high-heeled shoes.
• Avoid sports that involve lots of twisting and contact.

If you have already had an ACL injury, you can avoid another ACL injury by:

• Strengthening the injured knee through rehabilitation exercises.
• Changing your sports techniques to avoid motions that might stress the injured knee.
• Changing your lifestyle to avoid sports that have a high risk of injuring your knee further, such as skiing, football, soccer, or basketball.
• Wearing a knee brace during high-risk activities. But braces should be used only if rehabilitation is also being done. Wearing a brace alone may be of little benefit and may give you a false sense of security.

Programs to prevent ACL injuries are available. These programs generally emphasize injury awareness, avoidance techniques, and stretching, strengthening, and jumping exercises to help reduce ACL injuries.

Tips to prevent ACL injuries include practicing landing after jumps with the knees bent and crouching when pivoting and turning.

Last updated:	May 16, 2008
Author:	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH
Reviewed By:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine, Patrick J. McMahon, MD - Orthopedics
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC