ACL Rehab – Return to Sport

Thoughts from: Dr. Michael Reinhardt, DPT, OCS: Performance Physical Therapist, Resilient Performance & PT & R2P Academy Instructor

Returning to sport or activity following an ACL reconstruction requires the careful consideration of multiple factors. ⁣
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Meeting only one or two of the above criteria does not provide a high degree of confidence or safety when weighing return to sport readiness. Demonstrating perfectly symmetrical strength is excellent, but it means very little if they have not been exposed to the physical and cognitive demands implicit to their sport. ⁣
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Additionally, meeting all criteria except for full knee ROM or the restoration of knee strength should also be cause for delaying or slowing the return to sport process.⁣
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The reality with all return to sport processes is that we are tasked with weighing the risk vs. reward of getting back to sport sooner rather than later. Oftentimes, return to sport timelines are influenced by an athlete’s desire to take part in their team’s competitive season. While this should be taken into consideration, we must be careful not to let desire skew our objective assessment of an athlete’s physical and psychological readiness. ⁣
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It is our job as coaches and clinicians to provide our athletes with the clearest possible picture of where they stand and what work is left to be done. ⁣
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Utilizing consistent criteria and a battery of testing holds everyone accountable while also steering the return to play process in a favorable direction. ⁣
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Ready 2 Level up in Sports & Performance Physical Therapy? Start with the self-paced Foundations of Sports Rehab, where Dr. Reinhardt and the team lay the ground work as you lead your clients from rehab 2 performance.   Approved for up to 9 Hours of CEUs for Physical Therapists.  Learn more and get started HERE