Agility Exercises after ACL Reconstruction Surgery

An ACL injury can be devastating for just about anyone, but here at CardioFlex Therapy, we are determined to get our patients back to full health as quickly as possible. Here is Terry Abrams coaching a CardioFlex patient through agility training following a right knee ACL reconstruction. The agility drill in this clip is called a “Triangle Sprint“, which is performed around three cones to help increase her change of direction ability and explosiveness.

Agility Exercises Following ACL Reconstruction Surgery YouTube

The ACL is one of four major ligaments in the knee joint. The other three are the MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament), the LCL (Lateral Collateral Ligament), and the PCL (Posterior Collateral Ligament). The ACL is a strong ligament that prevents anterior translation of the tibia on the femur. In other words, when you squat or bend your knee in a closed-chain position (foot on the ground), the ACL prevents or limits the lower leg from moving forward.

Knee ligaments are usually torn by severe forces caused by extreme and rapid bending of the knee. Since ligaments are strong bands of soft tissue that attach one bone to another, tearing a major ligament is usually very painful and elicits a “popping” sensation. Occasionally, the ACL can just degrade gradually over time, perhaps occurring with several small accidents or injuries. People with a deficient ACL feel tremendous instability with squatting, lunging, jumping, and quick change of direction exercises. ACL tears are more common in high contact sports such as football and rugby, in which awkward hits and movements occur. Sports with a rapid change of direction such as basketball and soccer also have a higher than normal occurrence rate for ACL tears. Auto accidents, slip and falls, and jumping awkwardly can all cause the ACL to tear.
CardioFlex helps patients with this and other conditions and is very successful in getting their patients with their knee rehabilitation.

For more info visit: www.cardioflextherapy.com

Terry Abrams

About the Author
Terry Abrams is the President & Director of Physical Therapy for CardioFlex Therapy, a start-up company founded in 2005 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Delivering both Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy, CardioFlex Therapy’s Outpatient Clinic is centrally located in Davie, FL serving the towns of Cooper City, Weston, Pembroke Pines, Plantation, Southwest Ranches, Hollywood, Miramar, Sunrise, & Fort Lauderdale. For Home Physical Therapy, CardioFlex sends its therapists to homes located in Broward, Dade, & Palm Beach counties.