Top 5 Myths Surrounding ACL Injuries in Female Athletes
The Women's Sports Medicine Program dispels five common myths surrounding ACL injuries in female athletes.
Contact Information
Waltham, MAPhone: 617-643-3866
Boston, MAPhone: 617-643-3866
Miho J. Tanaka, MD, PhD is a sports medicine surgeon recognized for her research in patellofemoral (kneecap) disorders and gender-based differences in orthopaedic injuries. She treats male and female athletes of all levels and ages. Dr. Tanaka emphasizes patient education and evidence-based treatment as the foundation of patient care, and she performs minimally invasive surgeries of the shoulder, knee and elbow.
Dr. Tanaka joined Massachusetts General Hospital Sports Medicine Service in July 2019. Prior to her arrival at Mass General, she was an Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Founding Director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Program at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Dr. Tanaka completed her undergraduate degree at Stanford University, where she was a member of the varsity track and field team. She earned her medical degree at New York Medical College, and she completed her orthopaedic surgery residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. After residency, she completed a fellowship in sports medicine and shoulder surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
She has served as a team physician for multiple professional, semi-professional and collegiate sports teams and currently serves as head team physician for the New England Revolution and team physician for the Boston Red Sox, Boston Glory and Boston Ballet.
As a former athlete herself, Dr. Tanaka understands her patients’ passion for sports and shares their commitment to excellence. She has published or presented more than 100 articles and book chapters with a primary interest in the anatomy and biomechanics of the knee. She has served on the advisory board for Under Armour’s Connected Fitness Programs, and currently she serves as Safety Officer and reviewer for several NIH/NIAMS grant programs.
Dr. Tanaka serves on the Board of Directors for the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, as chair of the Learning Innovation Lab for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and is a member of the Education or Research Committees for the Arthroscopy Association of North America, and ISAKOS, promoting access to education for both patients and physicians. Additionally, she serves on the Electronic Media Editorial Board of the American Journal of Sports Medicine, on the Editorial Board for the Arthroscopy Journal and on the Associate CME Editor Panel for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. She has been the recipient of the Shore Program Award in 2020, the iSolve innovation award in 2021 and the Magic Wand Award in 2022.
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Sports Medicine at Mass General Waltham
52 Second Ave.
3rd Floor, Suite 3300
Waltham, MA 02451
Phone: 617-643-3866
Sports Medicine Service
Charles River Plaza
175 Cambridge St., 4th Floor
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-643-3866
Medical Education
American Board Certifications
Note: This provider may accept more insurance plans than shown; please call the practice to find out if your plan is accepted.
Dr. Tanaka's primary research focus is on the biomechanics, imaging and anatomy of the patellofemoral joint as it relates to patellar instability. She has produced more than 100 articles, book chapters and presentations primarily focusing on this topic, and she and her colleagues were awarded the Patellofemoral Surgical Anatomy Excellence Award by the Patellofemoral Foundation and Arthroscopy Association of North America in 2014 and 2021. She was inducted into the International Patellofemoral Study Group in 2017 and was the recipient of the 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021 grant awards from the Arthroscopy Association of North America.
Dr. Tanaka additionally has interest in improving the understanding of treatment outcomes and injury prevention in female athletes. She directs the Mass General Women's Sports Medicine Program and was previously the founding director of the program at Johns Hopkins, created to promote multidisciplinary research, clinical care and outreach/education focused on female athletes. She aims to bridge clinical gaps for female athletes through collaborations with experts in multiple fields, while promoting educational outreach to prevent injuries in women. She was awarded the Community Partnership Grant by the Eileen Fisher Foundation in 2015-2016 for her work in organizing educational programs for injury prevention in local girls' schools. Dr. Tanaka currently serves as Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Women's Sports Medicine.
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Mass General is recognized as a top hospital on the U.S. News Best Hospitals Honor Roll for 2024-2025.
Miho Tanaka, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer for the New England Revolution, is one of only two women in Major League Soccer to hold the title.
Dr. Tanaka talks about why she chose sports medicine, pursuing a career in a male-dominated field & the importance of research/education for athletes.
The Women's Sports Medicine Program dispels five common myths surrounding ACL injuries in female athletes.
As the number of female athletes increases, so do the number of ACL tears in the knee, prompting reconstruction surgery rates to rise three times faster in women.
For 25-year-old Emily Mellen, running is everything. So when hip and knee pain started flaring up during her runs, she knew one thing for certain: She wasn't giving up her sport without a fight.
Boston Red Sox team physicians and Mass General Brigham Sports Medicine providers Peter Asnis, MD and Miho J. Tanaka, MD, PhD, recently visited JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida for spring training.
Episode #48 of the Charged podcast
ACL and MCL injuries are injuries to the ligaments of the knee that most commonly occur in sports that require cutting and pivoting with potential for collision. Learn who is at most risk for these injuries and how to prevent injury.
The Women's Sports Medicine Program dispels five common myths surrounding ACL injuries in female athletes.
As the number of female athletes increases, so do the number of ACL tears in the knee, prompting reconstruction surgery rates to rise three times faster in women.
For 25-year-old Emily Mellen, running is everything. So when hip and knee pain started flaring up during her runs, she knew one thing for certain: She wasn't giving up her sport without a fight.
Boston Red Sox team physicians and Mass General Brigham Sports Medicine providers Peter Asnis, MD and Miho J. Tanaka, MD, PhD, recently visited JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida for spring training.