Anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, injuries are one of the most common among athletes. Each year, approximately 150,000 ACL injuries occur in the United States, particularly in sports that involve cutting, pivoting and jumping — such as soccer, basketball, football and skiing.

In 2021, Natalie Ryals, 20, playfully jumped off some stairs, something she had done many times before. Later that day, Ryals gradually started noticing some pain in her knee. As the weeks continued, the gradual pain turned into radiating pain, numbness and tingling in her foot. She soon experienced limited mobility in her knee and began to develop low back pain. Ryals began using a knee brace and crutches on a regular basis to be able to move around throughout her daily life.