ACL rehab needs to be taken more seriously. The injury and rehab can have a HUGE impact on someone’s life. ACL rehab is a long road, and the quality of care with appropriate return to sport testing can significantly decrease the retear rate. A current patient that came to us after attending another facility, a sophomore in high school, was 6 months out from ACL surgery and was performing high level plyometric activity with poor quad and hamstring strength. This patient tripped over a backpack at school causing her to partially retear fibers of her reconstructed ACL. She would have now been at the time frame where she could have potentially been back to playing soccer, but due to poor care and a partial retear her return has been extended. This patient has hopes and aspirations to play soccer at the collegiate level, and our care needs to be top notch to make sure she has a chance to accomplish her goals. There is no way ACL patients should be cleared to play without appropriate return to sport testing including: at least 9 months since surgery, sport specific movement patterns, battery of jumping tests and at least 90% quad and hamstring strength. Our clinicians at Premier Physical Therapy and Associates, who are former athletes, understand the importance of appropriate return to sport testing to make sure you are safe to get back in the game!
ACL Return to Sport Testing
