Breaking Down the Breakdown: Biomechanical Contributions Towards ACL Injury

Authors

  • Shaw McGrath Avenues The World School
  • Collin Pang Stanford University

Abstract

Injuries to the lower extremities are among the most common in sports due to the high strain placed on joints during intense movements. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), particularly vulnerable during dynamic motions like jumping or sudden directional changes, is frequently injured in contact sports such as football, basketball, and soccer. This literature review explores biomechanical risk factors contributing to ACL injuries, specifically the impact of playing surfaces (grass vs. turf) and cleat design (stud patterns). The findings suggest that round-stud or turf cleats used on natural grass significantly reduce the likelihood of ACL injury. In addition to biomechanical causes, this paper reviews clinical diagnosis methods such as the Lachman and Anterior Drawer tests, outlines rehabilitation protocols, and discusses long-term implications like joint instability and arthritis. By understanding these biomechanical and clinical factors, athletes and practitioners can implement targeted prevention and treatment strategies. Further research should investigate how sport type, footwear, age, and evolving league rules affect injury risk and recovery.

Author Biographies

  • Shaw McGrath, Avenues The World School

    Shaw is a sophomore at Avenues The World School in Manhattan, New York. He is passionate about equitable health and its relation to sports medicine, and hopes to pursue his interests at the collegiate level in the future. Outside of school, Shaw enjoys playing soccer and surfing.

  • Collin Pang, Stanford University

    Collin is a 4th year premed student at Stanford University, with a passion for health equity and sports medicine. His future plans involve attending medical school, and using his privilege to help underserved communities. Outside of school and work, Collin enjoys playing soccer and cooking. 

Downloads

Published

2025-08-12

Data Availability Statement

All the data that we used was found on public forums (such as google scholar), which is available to all. 

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 3 (2025)

Section

STS and Our Health

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Intersect: The Stanford Journal of Science, Technology, and Society

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

    1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

    1. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

  1. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).