ACL Injuries

zebrafish said:
As a parent of a female player, head injuries and ACL injuries are the things I worry about most.

If you have a female player near or in adolescence, you could consider the PEP prevention program. This approach has been shown to reduce the rate of ACL injuries in youth athletes in scientific studies by about 75%. Just search "PEP program ACL" on YouTube and there are several videos which show/explain the exercises. But real science is behind the efficacy of this exercise/prevention program. I wish clubs were more proactive about doing things like the PEP program as a formal warm up. I think it would be a great selling point of the clubs (we care about your child's health) and would reduce ACL injuries among athletes. A win-win.
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I've never really seen a team do a good warm up before a game. And how many stretch or roll out afterwards?? It's really kind of shocking!!
 
Just wanted to bump this thread up as I think it can be one of the most helpful and long-term threads on this forum. But when it gets pushed down so far I wonder if others know it has been started. Another season coming to a close, if anyone has injury reports/advice to share, please do.

Dominic - maybe "Injury Occurrence/Prevention" could be another category on the main menu to drive more content?
 
As I posted earlier my daughter was out for 2 years with back to back ACLs. She has been back 8 months but seems to keep getting injured (sprained ankles, foot injuries and stuff like that). Has anyone else experienced this after their child has come back after a long time off?
 
Just A Dad said:
As I posted earlier my daughter was out for 2 years with back to back ACLs. She has been back 8 months but seems to keep getting injured (sprained ankles, foot injuries and stuff like that). Has anyone else experienced this after their child has come back after a long time off?
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Yup. the time off plus growth that occurs while they're out gets them off kilter and it's very tough to get back.

The other piece is that a significant ACL injury (i.e. full tear and/or significant damage to the meniscus) is pretty traumatic mentally. Kids (and adults) tend to overcompensate for some time (up to several years) after the injury which can then lead to injuries on the opposite leg side from overuse.

it's a tough road. best of luck.
 
Kante said:
Yup. the time off plus growth that occurs while they're out gets them off kilter and it's very tough to get back.

The other piece is that a significant ACL injury (i.e. full tear and/or significant damage to the meniscus) is pretty traumatic mentally. Kids (and adults) tend to overcompensate for some time (up to several years) after the injury which can then lead to injuries on the opposite leg side from overuse.

it's a tough road. best of luck.
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Thank you... she was lucky not to have any damage to the meniscus both times
 
What is the name of the ACL prevention program that (I think) US soccer was recommending? Its to be done before practicing?
 
Just A Dad said:
As I posted earlier my daughter was out for 2 years with back to back ACLs. She has been back 8 months but seems to keep getting injured (sprained ankles, foot injuries and stuff like that). Has anyone else experienced this after their child has come back after a long time off?
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have your daughter hook up with PT that is able to evaluate her bio mechanics specifically with joint loading ie jump, landing , push off. I assume she is well healed and repair is good. Meaning that the knee does not have too much slop (movement forward and back when testing the ACL). It is not uncommon to suffer other injuries as one gets back to sport, it is unfortunate and the athlete has to remember what the body can do now and slowly build to what it was capable of before the injury, over the course of the next year or so. Also, it is not uncommon for the the uninjured side to suffer. I hope the back to back ACL's were not the same leg. That would suck! Anyway, encourage your daughter to stick with it! Seek the help of a qualified PT, not one who is just following an MD protocol but one who is looking closely at her mechanics and is looking at the way she moves not only at the knee but hips and ankle as well. good luck to both of you
 
Just A Dad said:
As I posted earlier my daughter was out for 2 years with back to back ACLs. She has been back 8 months but seems to keep getting injured (sprained ankles, foot injuries and stuff like that). Has anyone else experienced this after their child has come back after a long time off?
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If in San Diego County I would highly recommend Rehab United. They do wonders with athletes and treat not only the injury but the whole person. If a PT is only focusing on the injury they are doing it wrong. The PT should be working on all muscle groups of both legs, hips and back.
 
charlie murphy said:
have your daughter hook up with PT that is able to evaluate her bio mechanics specifically with joint loading ie jump, landing , push off. I assume she is well healed and repair is good. Meaning that the knee does not have too much slop (movement forward and back when testing the ACL). It is not uncommon to suffer other injuries as one gets back to sport, it is unfortunate and the athlete has to remember what the body can do now and slowly build to what it was capable of before the injury, over the course of the next year or so. Also, it is not uncommon for the the uninjured side to suffer. I hope the back to back ACL's were not the same leg. That would suck! Anyway, encourage your daughter to stick with it! Seek the help of a qualified PT, not one who is just following an MD protocol but one who is looking closely at her mechanics and is looking at the way she moves not only at the knee but hips and ankle as well. good luck to both of you
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It was the same Knee. As a parent i really messed up and let her take 2 months off. she was cleared at the end of the season and she just wanted a break and unfortunately she took a break from everything and didn't do anything for 2 months and came back at the start of the season like she hadn't been out for almost a year and she tore it again in the first scrimmage game. she was running full speed after a ball and was hit pretty good and stuck her leg out trying to catch herself instead of going to the ground. after that we both realized their is know shortcuts and she worked with a PT and a trainer for a additional 4 months after being cleared (and still works with the trainer 2 days a week) working on all the muscles and her body movement.
 
Surfref said:
If in San Diego County I would highly recommend Rehab United. They do wonders with athletes and treat not only the injury but the whole person. If a PT is only focusing on the injury they are doing it wrong. The PT should be working on all muscle groups of both legs, hips and back.
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we are in AZ but did find a PT and trainer thats working on all the muscle groups and her body movement. hips are a big issue for her.
 
One of the biggest problems relating to knee injuries (particularly for girls) is that so many players do not have well-rounded athletic ability and balance. I watch so many games (girls and boys but it’s especially obvious with girls) where I can tell that players are almost always playing unbalanced (they look awkward, like they could fall at any time) and very few know how to ride a challenge (jump a tackle and carry on) or even how to fall properly (yes, there is an art and skill to knowing how to fall without hurting yourself).

Because of this, so many injuries are caused by players coming together and one of them falling awkwardly. The state of fields do not help; State Cup this past weekend in Lancaster was a disgrace in terms of the field quality. So many potholes, undulations and uneven areas; not only does it increase the risk of injury, it encourages teams to play it long because passing on the ground is unbelievably difficult.

Back to the knee topic; the key is in working on balance/agility (and stability) at a young age, setting a foundation. Much in the same way as ball manipulation and comfort at a young age sets a critical foundation for being a good soccer player. Without this balance and stability, so many players come into the game of soccer with a high risk of injury.

Watch your son or daughters’ next game; ask yourself how many of the players look truly comfortable and stable, both with and without the ball when running and jumping.
 
Hi. I'm just wondering what is your experience if for coach's' expectations upon return from ACL injuries? We are having to make a coach/team change for my daughter as her previous coach has left the team.
 
What was the process that you folks have followed to allow your athlete to grow out of their knee brace after resuming play?
 
Slow Jamin said:
What was the process that you folks have followed to allow your athlete to grow out of their knee brace after resuming play?
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After both her ACLs my daughter didn’t wear a knee brace. I don’t know if it was the right decision but for her she felt like if she had to wear a brace she wasn’t ready to go back. She played a full season this year after being out 2 solid years with back to back ACLs. People tell me all the time how great she is because she keeps coming back without hesitation or fear of getting hurt again. For my own selfish reasons I wish she had a little fear because it’s been a full year and I still have a hard time watching her and I’m sick to my stomach every time she jumps for a ball, changes direction or slide tackles
 
Wow. Totally different situation with our athlete. He was cleared pretty quickly and then wasn't as committed to PT due to time constraints.. More committed to making all of our trainings and games.
 
My DD is an 04 DA and had her ACL torn by a dirty play by a goalie. She felt like her leg was broken. ACL was confirmed by Assistant Coach (Surgeon), also by the Surgeon that eventually fixed her. We had surgery the following month. She rehabbed her rear end off and went back to practice after 9 months off. Therapy, an ice machine and sheer determination brought her back. Practices were tentative at first, playing in her brace but she shortly returned to game ready. First game back she scored and logged decent minutes 20-30. That was for the first few games. Then she got relegated to play up with 02/03's. The former club had staffing problems so quite a few players filled in spots, by playing up. Moral of this story is to check with the Coach to solidify a return to playing plan. Our plan got cast aside due to the needs of the club, not without protest. She ended up playing 8 more games with the older group eventually playing all 90 minutes. As a parent, an injury like this changes your whole outlook, nothing is taken for granted. We tend to hang around practice and one of us travels when she plays out of state, just to make sure. Like others have said, it is a beautiful sight to see your DD return to play and playing the game we all love so much.
 
6 weeks post op for my DD. She's flying through rehab. Doc said she is in the 99th % that he has seen, in terms of recovery. Full range off motion. Really strong alreay. However, he said there is no way to heal the ACL graft quicker. He said 9 months is most probably her return, but like everyone says here... it's different with each person. She is dedicated and fierce, so I'm guessing she will return sooner than later and be stronger. Another 4 weeks and she can start running... Sigh... one step at a time.
 
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