Mick Hughes
- Sep 7, 2021

Multiple ACL Injuries

It's really sad hearing these stories in young athletes, but unfortunately 2nd ACL injuries are common in under 25yr old athletes - occurring in 20-30% of cases.

We can never eliminate risk of reinjury, but we can certainly reduce the risk significantly with these simple measures:

Delay return to competitive sports until at least 9 months. IMHO, non-professional athletes should wait 12 months minimum
Minimum >90% LSI quads and hamstrings strength. IMHO 95% LSI and strength values equal to normal athletes should be strongly considered.
Minimum 90% LSI on a battery of hop tests. IMHO 95% LSI and hop measures comparable to healthy athletes should be strongly considered.
Psychological readiness assessed via ACL-RSI. Minimum 77% score, but ideally 90%+
Movement quality assessed. Landing Error Scoring System is the best of a bad bunch. <5/18 would be ideal.

Would you add anything else?

If you'd like to learn more about ACL rehab, consider signing up to my online ACLR Masterclass here