Tearing or spraining the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is one of the most common injuries caused by sport participation. Following an ACL injury, your physician will refer you to a Physical Therapist (PT) for rehabilitation, then work collaboratively with the PT to ensure that you are ready to resume your sport of choice.
We perform evidence-based testing to help determine your readiness for returning to sports after ACL reconstruction. Without proper rehabilitation and return to play assessment, there is a very high likelihood of injury to the involved or even the uninvolved limb.
Every athlete requires an individual intervention and testing program based on his/her goals and sport. ACL Return to Play Testing (also known as “RTP Testing”) is especially important for sports that involve pivoting and cutting, such as tennis, squash, soccer and basketball.
In addition to RTP Testing for ACL injuries, our therapists may also conduct Y-balance tests for other lower extremity injuries, such as twisted ankles in runners. (Note: this is not the same as RTP testing, which is much more in-depth and involves several other measurements to make a determination.)
According to a study of high school athletes published in the National Institutes of Health’s Journal of Athletic Training, boys and girls share similar rates of ACL injury. During the study period (the academic years 2007-8 and 2011-12), there were more than 200,000 ACL injuries reported for student athletes from 100 U.S. high schools. The highest incidence of ACL injuries were:
When analyzed by gender, most boys injured an ACL playing football, soccer, and basketball, while most girls did so playing soccer, basketball and softball. (Adults follow similar lines when it comes to sports-related ACL injuries. The top sports for ACL injuries in adults? Basketball, soccer, football and skiing.)
Ready to get moving? Our expert team will guide you through your entire experience, from setting up your first appointment and verifying your insurance to building at-home treatment plans.