Bert Mandelbaum, MD, of Los Angeles-based Kerlan-Jobe Institute has instituted a program to reduce ACL tears in athletes, according to ABC.
Here are five things to know:
1. Dr. Mandelbaum found 5 to 25 percent of young female athletes re-tear their ACL after surgery. He attributes the trend to complex neuromuscular control.
2. When the femur rotates internally, it pushes the leg out of alignment and overloads the knee. The sequence of events, which Dr. Mandelbaum calls "dynamic valgus," tears the ACL.
3. He now utilizes a hip strategy in rehab that includes plyometrics, stretching, muscle balance and hip strengthening.
4. Dr. Mandelbaum has reported an 88 percent reduction in ACL tears in the first year of a study and 74 percent in the second year.
5. FIFA soccer players have embraced his methods and the NFL is looking into them, as well.