Following ACL injury, patients can have a smooth recovery with full return to sport and activity, or end up with ongoing knee symptoms and limited ability to perform the activities they love. How can you help your ACL injured patients have a great outcome?

In Physio Edge podcast episode 079, Dr Lee Herrington and David Pope explore how to make your ACL injury rehab successful, and provide you with a comprehensive guide to rehabilitate ACL injuries. You will understand how to take your patients from initial injury to return to sport, and develop the knowledge to help inform your patients decide with your patient whether surgical repair or conservative management is their best option.

You will discover:

• Do ACL injuries require surgical management?
• Which factors commonly affect whether people with ACL-deficient knees require surgery?
• Common diagnostic errors in ACL injury patients
• What are the key elements you need to include in your rehab of ACL injuries?
• Conservative vs surgical management
• Should your rehab focus on movement control, strength or skills?
• How you should objectively assess your patients rehab progress?
• What valid measurement tools can you use when assessing patient progress?
• Are open-chain exercises safe, and should they be used in your rehab?
• Most effective types of movement control and skill training
• How to know when your patient should progress their exercises?
• Which strength measures are important?
• Which strength training exercises can you include?
• When can running be commenced?
• Running progressions you can use
• What pain measures should you monitor throughout rehab?
• Is pain during rehab ok?
• How to return your patient to training and sport
• What maintenance exercises should your patient continue after completing their rehab?

Related online courses

Advanced ACL rehab with Andrew Ryan

Other episodes of interest:

• Physio Edge 052 Conservative or surgical management for ACL injuries with Enda King
• Physio Edge 051 Lateral knee and LCL injuries with Matt Konopinski
• Physio Edge 034 - Advanced ACL rehab with Enda King

Links associated with this episode:

• Download and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes

• Twitter - @LeeHphysio

• MSc Sports injury rehabilitation - University of Salford

• Online course - Acute low back pain treatment with David Pope - available with a free trial Clinical Edge membership

• Free sports injuries videos with Dr Ebonie Rio, Jack Hickey, Dr Adam Weir, Dr Michael Rathleff, Jo Gibson and Prof Bill Vicenzino

• Let David Pope know what you liked about this podcast on Twitter

• Review the podcast on iTunes

• Like the podcast on Facebook

• Infographics by Clinical Edge

Articles associated with this episode:

• Bollen et al. 1996. Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament - a quiet epidemic?
• Comfort et al. 2011. Kinetic comparisons during variations of the power clean
• Frobell et al. 2010. A randomised trial of treatment for acute anterior cruciate ligament tears
• Gabbett. 2016. The training - injury prevention paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder?
• Harris et al. 2017. Tibiofemoral osteoarthritis after surgical or nonsurgical treatment of anterior cruciate ligament rupture: a systematic review
• Herrington et al. 2013. Task based rehabilitation protocol for elite athletes following Anterior Cruciate ligament reconstruction: a clinical commentary
• Hewett et at. 2010. Understanding and Preventing ACL injuries: current biomechanical and epidemiological considerations
• Mikkelsen et al. 2000. Closed kinetic chain alone compared to combined open and closed kinetic chain exercises for quadriceps strengthening after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with respect to return to sports: a prospective matched follow-up study
• Weiler et al. 2015. Non-operative management of a complete anterior cruciate ligament injury in an English Premier League football plater with return to play in less that 8 weeks: applying common sense in the absence of evidence