ACL Injury Prevention: What our upcoming class will do for your athlete!

November 1, 2021

ACL Injury Prevention: What our upcoming class will do for your athlete!

Hegg Wellness & Rehabilitation is excited to introduce a new class that emphasizes injury prevention of the lower extremity, particularly of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The ACL serves an important role in the stabilization of the knee by resisting forward movement of the distal lower leg and rotational forces. Most ACL injuries occur from a noncontact mechanism when cutting or changing direction but can also be injured due to contact with a direct force to the knee. Each year, about 200,000 people injure their ACL in the United States alone. These injuries are most common in young individuals who participate in sports where they need to quickly change speeds by cutting, pivoting, or decelerating, as well as jumping.4 Standard of care following a rupture of the ACL is usually reconstructive surgery where typical recovery length before return to sports is at least 9-12 months after surgery that involves intensive rehabilitation prior to clearance. Let’s dive into the statistics on the ACL injury, and talk about why Hegg Wellness & Rehabilitation can reduce the likelihood of sustaining an ACL injury.

  • Females are anywhere from 2-8 times more likely than males to sustain an ACL injury depending on the source.1,3,4
  • Depending on the source, only 35% or 55% of athletes returned to their same preinjury level of activity/sport after surgery following an ACL injury.1,2
  • Re-rupture rates following ACL reconstructive ranges from 3-22% on the involved limb and 3-24% on the uninvolved limb within the first 5 years after surgery.1
  • Evidence suggests benefits of an ACL prevention program to reduce the risk of LE injuries, particularly to the ACL.
    • According to Silvers-Granelli et al., a 20 minute dynamic warm-up/injury prevention program that was completed 2-3 times per week during Division I and II male soccer players season helped reduce ACL injury rates by 77% when completed prior to their soccer games and practice.
    • According to Gilchrist et al., a 30 minute program that was completed 3 times per week during 12-week regular soccer season for Division I female soccer players reported a 40% decrease in all ACL injuries and 70% decrease in non-contact injuries.
    • Key components to a successful ACL prevention program/warm-up includes the following:4,6
      • Performed at least 2-3 times per week that lasts 20-30 minutes
      • Needs to include:
        • dynamic balance and strength with emphasis on proximal control exercises
        • sport-specific activities that includes plyometrics, running, cutting/pivoting drills
      • Start program in the preseason and continue performing throughout the regular season
      • Program should last no fewer than 6 weeks

With the above evidence in mind, Hegg Wellness & Rehabilitation created an ACL prevention program to help local athletes reduce the risk of ACL injuries. These classes will take place on Monday & Wednesday from 3:40-4:10 PM starting Monday, November 15 and ending Wednesday, January 5. Please call Hegg Wellness & Rehabilitation at (712)-476-8080 or email the wellness manager, Jordyn Kleinwolterink, at Jordyn.Kleinwolterink@hegghc.org for more details.

 

References

  1. Van Melick N, van Cingel REH, Brooijmans F, et al. Evidence-based clinical practice update: practice guidelines for anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation based on a systematic review and multidisciplinary consensus. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2016; 50:1506-1515.
  2. Davies GJ, McCarty E, Provencher M, Manske RC. ACL Return to Sport Guidelines and Criteria. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2017;10(3):307-314. doi:10.1007/s12178-017-9420-9 Dewald M. Knee ACL Pathology [PowerPoint Slides]. Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy III, PHTH 740. Accessed May 2021.
  3. Guide: Physical Therapy Guide to Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injury. August 26, 2021. Accessed October 12, 2021. https://www.choosept.com/guide/physical-therapy-guide-anterior-cruciate-ligament-tear
  4. Silvers-Granelli HJ, Bizzini M, Arundale A, Mandelbaum BR, Snyder-Mackler L. Does the FIFA 11+ Injury Prevention Program Reduce the Incidence of ACL Injury in Male Soccer Players? Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2017;475(10):2447-2455.
  5. Gilchrist J, Mandelbaum BR, Melancon H, et al. A randomized controlled trial to prevent noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury in female collegiate soccer players. Am J Sports Med. 2008;36(8):1476-1483.
  6. Amelia J.H. Arundale, Mario Bizzini, Airelle Giordano, Timothy E. Hewett, David S. Logerstedt, Bert Mandelbaum, David A. Scalzitti, Holly Silvers-Granelli, and Lynn Snyder-Mackler. Exercise-Based Knee and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Prevention. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.2018 48:9, A1-A42.

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