This was a tough winter, and some of you didn’t escape without tearing the dreaded ACL.

A ligament is a tight band of tissue that connects a bone to a bone, and crosses a joint.  It doesn’t stretch, contract or move.  Just by virtue of where it is located, it provides stability against a particular motion to that joint.  

Well, we know that ACL injuries will occur most often in what we call "agility" sports. This fact is even more true when we look at our young high school athletes. Unfortunately, an ACL tear can be a major setback the health and well-being of the young athlete.

You aren't alone in wondering what the chances of re-tearing the ACL are. In fact, I get the question so much that I decided to put a video together answering the question for you!

In the past, it wasn’t uncommon to hear an ACL injury referred to as “career-ending.”  Not anymore.  And while you certainly still hear ACL injuries referred to as “season-ending”,  recent evidence and research tells us that you can come back from the injury performing at an even higher level.

Let's talk about the famous (or for those who've injured it, infamous) ACL. ACL is an an acronym for Anterior Cruciate ligament, which you probably know is part of the knee. You may not know that the knee is the largest and most complex joint in the human body. Because of this, it relies on a multitude of biological components to keep it functioning properly and optimally. 

Dr. Bill Sterett talks about some of the unique risk factors that women face when it comes to knee injuries, as well as how we can attempt to combat these injuries by adjusting techniques when it comes to running and jumping. 

I recently filmed a popular little video about female athletes and why they seem to have a much higher risk of tearing their ACL than their male counterparts. For those who like to read, here's the condensed version of some of the reasons our Female athletes seem to dominate the injury list...

Vail is truly special! It’s also home to some of the world’s best orthopedic surgeons.