ROCHESTER, N.Y. — An increase in ACL injuries in young athletes has many concerned.

The British Journal of Sports Medicine released a new study showing a jump in cases for kids between the ages of 10 and 14. 

Dr. Mike Maloney, an orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon at UR Medicine, says there’s some thought that sports specialization is contributing to the increased incidents of not just the ACL, but multiple joints.

The study shows that ACL injuries in athletes have risen 148 percent in the last decade. Maloney says that as a society, we need to look at the pressures young athletes are subjected to.  

“There’s no question that young athletes are participating with greater intensity and greater frequency with their sports and they’re joining multiple teams and the big thing they talk about is sport specialization where you’re seeing young athletes select one sport, doing it year round,” said Maloney.

Maloney recommends athletes have a period of rest from any sport to give the body a chance to heal and to participate in different sports throughout the year, rather than the same one all year long.