“ACL Tear” are among the most dreaded words for an athlete to hear, because it most likely means it’s the end of their season and the beginning of lots of hard work in recovery. Just this past week, Grady Jarrett, Defensive Tackle for the Atlanta Falcons, became another player added to the the IR with an ACL tear. At this point half or more of the league’s team have at least 1 player out for the season because of this injury. Jarret is actually the second for the Falcons, with Running Back Avery Williams also out. The Cowboys lost star cornerback Trevon Diggs earlier this season and the Cardinals are without their Quarterback, Kyler Murray because of an ACL tear. Unfortunately the list goes on and on.
Obviously ACL tears are very common among football players. This injury results from rotational stresses, sudden changes of direction, and/or poor landing mechanics, and the recovery requires surgery and months of physical therapy. The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, is a key stabilizing structure in the knee that limits the forward movement of the tibia on the femur, and without the ACL, it is much more difficult for the surrounding structures to maintain knee stability, especially in weight bearing. NFL players are elite athletes that have to be able to withstand crazy physical stresses on the body, meaning knee stability is essential to perform well and avoid further injury, and for this reason, most NFL players opt to get ACL reconstruction surgery.
During the ACL reconstruction surgery, tissue is taken from the tendon of the quadriceps, hamstrings, or patella and anchored to the tibia and femur, providing similar stability as the original ACL. However, it takes up to two years for the new “ligament”, or graft, to fully resemble a normal ACL.
After ACL reconstruction surgery, Physical Therapy is essential to helping regain strength, mobility, flexibility and flexion for everyone. PT starts just days after ACL reconstruction surgery. The first few weeks of rehab will focus on improving pain levels, decreasing swelling, and recovering range of motion and quad muscle strength, and around the 3-month mark, a person can finally be cleared to run. Strengthening of the quad, glutes, and hamstrings will be prioritized during sessions to improve lower body control and eliminate any muscle imbalances that may have contributed to the initial injury. The later phases of rehab will focus on proper technique with cutting, pivoting, and single-leg activities, with an emphasis on proper landing mechanics and dynamic balance. Protection of the graft is the biggest priority throughout rehab, as well as decreasing the risk of re-injury, which unfortunately can be common after the initial injury.
In this video 3DPT West Berlin’s Dr. Sarah Obuchowski describes and demonstrates a few movements that would be included throughout a rehab program for ACL tears
Though NFL players are outstanding athletes, recovery after ACL reconstruction will take at least 6 months because the healing and remodeling of the graft will follow that 2-year timeline despite any strengthening or balance training efforts. Oftentimes, ACL tears are accompanied by damage to other structures in the knee that may not be reported, and if this is the case, recovery will be prolonged.
Categorized as: 2023 NFL Blog