Mechanism of Injury and Risk Factors for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

Participation in recreational and competitive athletics continues to increase. Injury rates, including anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, have increased concomitantly. As such there has been increasing interest and research related to ACL injury prevention. The first steps in injury prevention are gaining an understanding of the mechanism of injury and the risk factors predisposing to injury. The focus of this article is on the current understanding of ACL injury mechanism and risk factors. ACL injury mechanisms are stratified and discussed as noncontact and contact injuries. Additionally, risk factors, both modifiable and nonmodifiable, are reviewed.