Jumper’s knee is a form of overuse injury that affects the patellar tendon the thick cord of tissue that connects your kneecap (patella) to your shinbone (tibia). This tendon plays a key role in knee extension, allowing you to straighten your leg and absorb force during jumping and landing.

When repetitive impact overloads the tendon, it can lead to microtears, inflammation, and chronic pain. This condition is especially common in high-impact sports like volleyball, basketball, running, and more recently pickleball.

As a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in the active mountain town of Vail, and Frisco, Colorado, I see a noticeable uptick in shoulder injuries every summer—especially among young baseball and softball athletes. While throwing is an essential part of the game, repetitive motion and poor mechanics can set the stage for serious injury.

If your child is playing in a summer league or attending a baseball or softball camp, now is the time to take shoulder injury prevention seriously.

Knee injuries might seem like something that only affects adults—but in today’s world of youth athletics, ACL tears are showing up more and more in kids. As an ACL Doctor in Vail, Colorado, I’ve seen a noticeable rise in pediatric ACL injuries over the past decade.

The stakes are different for growing athletes. A torn ACL doesn’t just disrupt a season—it can affect growth, development, and long-term knee health if not handled properly. The good news? With the right treatment strategy, young athletes can heal, return to sport, and continue to thrive.

There’s a lot to love about summer—longer days, warmer weather, and the return of outdoor sports. But as activity ramps up, so does the risk for certain injuries, especially tears to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Whether you're gearing up for a weekend tournament or joining a trail running group, it's important to know how summer sports can affect your knees.

As Dr. William Sterett, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery in the mountain town of Vail, Colorado, I’ve treated thousands of ACL injuries over the course of my career. While some ACL tears are due to unavoidable factors—like genetics or bad luck—others are the result of habits and movement patterns that can absolutely be changed.

The good news? These are behaviors you can control. Let’s look at three common actions or choices that put your ACL at risk—and what you can do to protect your knees before injury strikes.

As Dr. William Sterett, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Vail-Summit Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery in the athletic community of Vail, Colorado, I’ve worked closely with countless female athletes. One question that’s come up more frequently in recent years is this: Does my menstrual cycle affect my risk of tearing my ACL?

The short answer is yes—there is growing evidence that hormone fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle can influence ligament laxity and neuromuscular control, which in turn may increase the risk of ACL injury during specific phases.

It is a well-established fact in sports medicine that females are more susceptible to ACL injuries than their male counterparts. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a crucial stabilizing ligament in the knee, and its injury can have significant implications for an individual's mobility and athletic performance. Understanding the factors that contribute to this gender discrepancy is essential for effective injury prevention and treatment.

A suspected ACL injury comes with a feeling of uncertainty, along with many questions. Did I tear it? Will I need surgery? How long will I be out of commission? Here, we will address some of the most common questions Dr. Sterett receives about ACL tears, including symptoms, treatment options, and recovery expectations.

ACL tears are one of the most common injuries in soccer. In fact, studies have shown that female soccer players are 4-5 times more likely to suffer an ACL tear than their male counterparts.

Learn why females have a higher risk of ACL injuries, along with recommended prevention strategies by Dr. Sterett, the leading expert in female ACL reconstruction.

Here are the risk factors relate to our female athletes and contribute to their higher rates of ACL injuries.

On average, female athletes are 4-5 times more likely to tear their ACL than their male counterparts. Here’s why…

We Want To Set Our Female Athletes Up For Success By Using The Graft With The Best Probable Outcome For ACL Repair.

One of the major reasons that females experience more ACL tears than their male counterparts is that they have inherent physiological differences.

I've been in a unique position to observe some of the factors that contribute to the fact that our female athletes have more knee injuries then their male counterparts

Chances are, if you are a soccer player, you will have to deal with a knee injury at some point. And if you do, let Alex Morgan be your inspiration!

When you walk or run, you are actually placing two to eight times your body weight on the knee joint. It is the job of the meniscus to absorb this weight and distribute it evenly throughout the joint.