This prospective cohort asked whether biomechanical and balance deficits measured at return-to-sport predict a second ACL injury after reconstruction. 56 young athletes underwent 3D landing analysis during a drop vertical jump plus single-leg postural stability testing, then were followed for 12 months.
When you clear an athlete to return after ACLR, strength and laxity testing alone are not enough. This study shows that neuromuscular control during landing carries the prognostic weight.
The practical decision rule: screen the drop vertical jump for dynamic valgus and assess single-leg balance before clearance. A net hip internal rotation moment, increased frontal plane knee motion, sagittal plane moment asymmetry, and a postural stability deficit together flag the high-risk athlete.
The strongest signal was hip external rotator weakness (OR 8.4), which points to gluteus maximus control as a modifiable target. This connects directly to ROCK injury-prevention and rehabilitation objectives: train hip external rotation and extension, plyometric landing mechanics, and balance before release.
Weigh the evidence appropriately. This is a single-center prospective cohort of 56 athletes (Level 2), so the model needs external validation, but it remains a foundational reference for criteria-based return-to-sport decisions.
This prospective cohort asked whether biomechanical and balance deficits measured at return-to-sport predict a second ACL injury after reconstruction. 56 young athletes underwent 3D landing analysis during a drop vertical jump plus single-leg postural stability testing, then were followed for 12 months.
When you clear an athlete to return after ACLR, strength and laxity testing alone are not enough. This study shows that neuromuscular control during landing carries the prognostic weight.
The practical decision rule: screen the drop vertical jump for dynamic valgus and assess single-leg balance before clearance. A net hip internal rotation moment, increased frontal plane knee motion, sagittal plane moment asymmetry, and a postural stability deficit together flag the high-risk athlete.
The strongest signal was hip external rotator weakness (OR 8.4), which points to gluteus maximus control as a modifiable target. This connects directly to ROCK injury-prevention and rehabilitation objectives: train hip external rotation and extension, plyometric landing mechanics, and balance before release.
Weigh the evidence appropriately. This is a single-center prospective cohort of 56 athletes (Level 2), so the model needs external validation, but it remains a foundational reference for criteria-based return-to-sport decisions.