Maven Sports Medicine effectively combines our high standard of orthopedic rehabilitation practice with our clear understanding of elite fitness and sports performance. Maven’s Doctors of Physical Therapy have decades of combined practice experience in orthopedic rehabilitation, sports strength/conditioning, fitness, and athletic training. Our dedication to providing excellent evidence-based care to all our active and athletic patients remains consistent.

The most "popular" knee ligament pathology that people are familiar with is the ACL tear (a full tear is classified as a grade III ligament sprain). Over 200,000 ACL tears are reported annually with female basketball and soccer players having incidences of double and quadruple that of males, respectively. In fact, female athletes are 8 times more likely to sustain an ACL tear than males. The primary function of the ACL is to check anterior tibial movement (forward movement of the tibia) The most common cause of an ACL sprain is during a cutting or landing maneuver with the knee flexed (anteromedially-directed force) as is common in sports such as soccer, football, basketball, and lacrosse. In severe cases where the knee is abruptly flexed and pointed inward (valgus position), an "unhappy triad" can occur, where the ACL, MCL, and medial meniscus all tear.

Typically, a knee ligament that is completely torn requires reconstructive surgery, especially if the patient desires to return to participating in their sport(s). Many surgeons do not recommend surgery for patients who are "average Joes" and do not plan on playing or returning to playing competitive sports. However, the literature is clear on the fact that early arthritis is common in patients who do not receive the reconstructive surgery, regardless of athletic participation; instability of the knee, which occurs with ligament tears, permits excessive motion in the knee joint, which then allows a higher incidence of friction across the joint and quicker wearing of the meniscus and/or articular cartilage.