ACL tears can sideline an athlete or crush an Olympic dream. It’s a common knee injury affecting nearly twice as many women than men. Dr. Cedric Ortiguera, a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, says 150,000‒200,000 ACL injuries occur each year in the U.S., and that number is growing as more children become involved in competitive sports year-round. The good news is that surgery can help get some athletes get back in the game.