Postoperative Rehabilitation and Return to Play After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) disruption of the knee can be a devastating injury to the athletes, as they are faced with possible reconstructive surgery and the extensive months of physical rehabilitation that follows. Within the first postoperative year, many athletes are unable to return to their previous level of athletic performance and some athletes are unable to return to play at all. Strength and Conditioning (S&C) Professionals utilize specific exercises and training principles to enhance an athlete’s athletic performance in the arena of competition. As a major component of the ACL rehabilitation process involves the implementation of exercises for the athlete to execute, these S&C exercises and training principles should also be a consideration for utilization by the rehabilitation professional during the ACL rehabilitation. These S&C exercises and training principles may not only assist in a desired return-to-play outcome, but would also familiarize or refamiliarize the athletes with the training program design that may be instituted during their off-season athletic performance-enhancement training.