Despite considerable research into effective return to play assessment for patients following ACL reconstruction, few tests provide the ability to predict re-injury and many require specialized equipment that is uncommon in rehabilitation clinics.  There has been a shift from tests that simply measure performance (i.e. how far you can hop on the injured or uninjured leg), to those that consider the movement strategies patients use to achieve those scores (i.e. qualitative movement analysis).

In this study, a battery of performance tests (i.e. muscular strength, hopping, sprinting with change of direction) are completed at 6-, 12- and 24- months following ACL reconstruction.  Performance outcomes are collected on each test (i.e. hop distance, sprint time, muscle strength) and these are compared against the movement strategies the patients used to achieve the score, their confidence in their ability to complete the task (0-10 scale), and patient reported outcome measures.

This study aims to identify clinical rating scales that can be used to determine effective movement strategies on common performance tests (i.e. hop tests, drop vertical jumps), and be readily integrated into clinical practice.

For patients, we aim to develop a simple battery of tests that identifies performance deficits in those requiring further treatment, and minimize risk of re-injury in those passing the tests and proceeding to return to sport following ACL reconstruction.