Landing drills and direction changes

ACL injuries can occur as a result of not bending the knees enough when changing direction or landing irregularly from a jump which exposes the athlete to more pressure in the legs and knees. This example was seen is the video, where the athlete came down from a lay – up in basketball, placing excessive pressure on his right leg.

 

The muscles that surround the knee will need to be strengthened in this instance as condition always needs to be specific to the injury that has occurred. The reversibility effect will have caused atrophy in these unused muscles and will need to be re – conditioned to their optimal strength – that is – their strength prior to injury.

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Exercises:

• Jump squats: Practicing bending the knees upon landing and ensuring they remain aligned: knees over toes. Do not allow medial or lateral rotation of the knees. 

• Crab walks with the TheraBand: Opening and closing the knees in resistance to a band to strengthen the knees so they do not medially or laterally rotate during jumps.

• Leg curls: Lying horizontally whilst bending the knees in resistance to a band.

 

Improving agility

A lack of agility in sports such as basketball, where rapid changes in direction are required, can be the causation of an ACL tear. Therefore, agility exercises should become intrinsic to the rehabilitation process so to prevent the injury from reoccurring.

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Exercises:

• Illinois shuttle run

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How to complete the Illinois Shuttle run:

The course is 10 by 5m. Athletes begin on their stomach at the starting point. When the coach signals to start, the athlete gets up as quickly as possible and runs in a straight line for 10m before turning and running through a slalom course of 4 cones. Finally, the athlete will run another 10m in a straight line before the test concludes. Refer to the diagram for the layout of the Illinois Agility test.

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Increasing muscular strength

Focus on the lower body and core strength. A strong core assists athletes in improving their balance, whilst strong hamstrings and quadriceps work together to flex and extend the leg. 

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Exercises:

• Quad sets

• Straight leg raises

• Backward leg raises

• Hip abduction

• Squats

• Wall sits

• Reverse lunges

• Bridges (short leg and long leg)

• Planks and side planks