This systematic review and meta-analysis (26 studies, 17.8 million athlete-exposures) quantifies ACL injury incidence in adolescent athletes ages 12–19. It stratifies risk by sport, sex, and competitive setting to identify which populations should be prioritized for neuromuscular injury prevention programs.
When a parent asks whether their daughter should specialize in one sport to reduce injury risk, this paper gives you concrete numbers to work with. A 3-sport female athlete (soccer, basketball, lacrosse) carries roughly 3% annual and greater than 12% career ACL risk in high school alone — before accounting for summer camps and showcases that the authors note likely push rates even higher.
Enroll high-risk athletes in neuromuscular training programs proactively. The authors are explicit: target high-risk sports in both sexes, not just female athletes. A boy playing football, basketball, and lacrosse carries approximately 7% career risk.
Across every sport studied, ACL injuries occur at 7–11 times higher rates in games than in practice. During peak competitive stretches, consider reducing high-intensity game-simulation training volume. The prevention opportunity is in practice structure, where injury rates are already low.
This systematic review and meta-analysis (26 studies, 17.8 million athlete-exposures) quantifies ACL injury incidence in adolescent athletes ages 12–19. It stratifies risk by sport, sex, and competitive setting to identify which populations should be prioritized for neuromuscular injury prevention programs.
When a parent asks whether their daughter should specialize in one sport to reduce injury risk, this paper gives you concrete numbers to work with. A 3-sport female athlete (soccer, basketball, lacrosse) carries roughly 3% annual and greater than 12% career ACL risk in high school alone — before accounting for summer camps and showcases that the authors note likely push rates even higher.
Enroll high-risk athletes in neuromuscular training programs proactively. The authors are explicit: target high-risk sports in both sexes, not just female athletes. A boy playing football, basketball, and lacrosse carries approximately 7% career risk.
Across every sport studied, ACL injuries occur at 7–11 times higher rates in games than in practice. During peak competitive stretches, consider reducing high-intensity game-simulation training volume. The prevention opportunity is in practice structure, where injury rates are already low.