ACL Rehab: from research to practice

An injury of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has profound consequences for an athlete given the time lost from sports, the inherent physical and psychological effects as well as the long-term sequelae related to further joint pathology and decreased physical activity. Based on current literature, the outcomes of a lot of patients are very disappointing.  

In this lecture, Bart will summarize the latest research findings that you need to know to improve the outcomes of your patients before and after an ACL reconstruction. First, a theoretical presentation of approximately one hour will be presented, where a critical appraisal of current approaches after ACL reconstruction is followed by recommendations for optimizations within a multifactorial framework. In the second part of this video lecture, Bart will present numerous practical examples of exercise progressions, including jump, strength, power, running, balance, and integrated neurocognitive and visuomotor training. 

Based on this information, you will:

- identify the most common pitfalls during rehabilitation

- improve the structure of your rehabilitation process across a continuum starting from the ACL injury,  towards full return to performance

- recognize that an ACL injury is not a simple mechanical injury

- understand the relation between an ACL injury and the sensorimotor system

- learn novel principles to apply central nervous system retraining strategies in your rehabilitation

- learn to recognize and improve maladaptive psychological factors during rehabilitation

- learn how to use simple criteria-based steps to guide an athlete through the continuum of the rehabilitation process

- learn that returning to sport is a process dependent on multiple factors, where smart and hard work is essential

- get inspired by numerous practical examples of exercises

- be able to use these new ideas immediately in your clinic, the very next day

- improve the chances for more successful rehab outcomes

Have fun!