Non‐Operative Management of a Complete <scp>ACL</scp> Rupture With the Cross‐Bracing Protocol in an Elite Australian Rules Football Athlete

ABSTRACT Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are traditionally managed with surgical reconstruction, but the ACL's healing capacity continues to be explored. Non‐operative management strategies have emerged as viable alternatives for ACL‐injured patients either via rehabilitation alone or approaches like the Cross‐Bracing Protocol (CBP). We report the case of a female Australian rules football (AFL) athlete with a complete ACL rupture sustained through a non‐contact hyperextension mechanism. The athlete was treated with the 12‐week CBP, and the serial MRI examinations at 3‐, 6‐, 12‐, and 36‐month post‐injury are presented, demonstrating progression from a complete ACL rupture to a contiguous ACL with normal thickness, volume, trajectory, and signal intensity. Patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMS) were collected at 3‐, 6‐, 12‐, and 36‐month post‐injury. The athlete successfully returned to elite‐level AFL sport one year post‐injury and reported no re‐rupture at 3 years post‐injury. This case demonstrates the potential utility of the CBP to restore normal ACL anatomy and result in stability of the knee following non‐surgical management.