Incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries among elite ballet and modern dancers: a 5-year prospective study.

Background: Ballet and modern dance are jump-intensive activities, but little is known about the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries among dancers.

Hypothesis: Rigorous jump and balance training has been shown in some prospective studies to significantly reduce ACL injury rates among athletes. Dancers advance to the professional level only after having achieved virtuosic jump and balance technique.