ACL Breakthrough Testing: Tracking progress to help with return to play
We have the privilege of working with athletes from various sports, each with their unique set of challenges and goals. Of late, we have been working with Christies Beach Football Club and South Adelaide Football Club’s Savannah Rayner. Savannah suffered an ACL injury 11 months and throughout her recovery we have been conducting our Breakthrough Testing using VALD Force Decks and Dynamo to assess her strength, power and symmetry.
These tests have enabled us to determine Savannah’s readiness to return to footy. We have focused on restoring her strength, stability and confidence in her injured knee. As part of this process, our Breakthrough Testing has played a crucial role in tracking her progress and making informed decisions about her returning to footy.
Our Breakthrough Testing involves a series of tests and assessments designed to evaluate various aspects of an athlete’s capabilities after injury. For Savannah, our objective was to measure her strength and power and assess the symmetry between her left and right leg.
The Tests we conducted were:
Squat Assessment allows us to evaluate Savannah’s lower body strength and assess any discrepancies between her right and left leg. It provides valuable insights into her ability to generate force and maintain stability during functional movements
Countermovement Jump measures Savannah’s explosive power and jumping ability. By analysing her vertical jump height, we gain insights into her lower limb strength and power output.
Single Leg Jump focuses on evaluating Savannah’s ability to generate force and absorb impact on a single leg. We can test her lower limb strength and power output.
Drop Jump assesses Savannah’s ability to absorb and generate force rapidly. By evaluating her landing mechanics, we gain insights into her readiness for high intensity movements.
Knee Extension allows us to assess the strength and stability of Savannah’s quad muscles. This helps identify any strength imbalances between her right and left leg.
Our Breakthrough Testing allows us to gain a clear picture of Savannah’s progress throughout her rehab and also allows us to identify any remaining weaknesses or imbalances that may need to be addressed in determining whether Savannah is ready to return to footy.