Abstract
With well over 16,000 published research studies and countless news stories, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries have been a heavily emphasized topic in research, academic, and popular media for over 30 years. This popularity is somewhat surprising given the relatively low rate of ACL injuries compared to more common ankle injuries. Several reasons exist for the continued interest in ACL injuries, including their impact on sports participation, the disproportionate ACL injury rates based on age and gender, and the many “ACL injury prevention” programs that exist. This chapter will cover the rationale for strategies to reduce ACL injury risk, briefly summarize the risk factors for ACL injury, the evidence to support ACL injury prevention programs, and discuss in detail the steps used to design an ACL injury prevention program to reduce the relative risk attributed to modifiable risk factors.