NW Spine - Library
An Open Letter of Response Regarding ACL Injury
By Greg E. Bradley-Popovich, DPT, MSEP, MS, CSCS & Steven V. Hoge, BS
© 2002
The following letter was mailed to orthopedic surgeons, athletic directors, and coaches in the communities in and around Portland, Oregon.
January 30, 2002
Dear Concerned Sports Enthusiast,
You may have read the recent article on female knee injuries in the Sunday Oregonian (January 13, 2002). We have enclosed a copy for your review. The article brings to light the high probability of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, particularly among females. The article indicates that female athletes between the ages of twelve and twenty-five are two to eight times as likely to rupture their ACLs as compared to males playing sports such as basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Those who have injured one ACL are 30% more likely to tear the ACL in the other knee. Although surgery can replace a torn ACL, athletes lose significant training time, and remain at increased risk for developing knee arthritis. Furthermore, an ACL injury can lead to inactivity that allows profound muscular and cardiopulmonary deconditioning.
At NW Spine Management, Rehabilitation, and Sports Conditioning (NW Spine), we have long recognized the alarming rise in ACL injuries in young athletes, both male and female. While we excel at orthopedic rehabilitation following injury and/or surgery, we believe prevention is key. As a result of this heightened awareness, we have developed our comprehensive Lower Extremity Strengthening Program for athletes who wish to adequately prepare themselves to minimize risk of a serious knee injury.
The Oregonian article contains a sidebar that offers a number of training strategies for the prevention of ACL injuries. NW Spine is fully equipped to not only skillfully administer the exercises in a supervised environment, but to do so more efficiently and safely than presented in the sidebar. For example, in lieu of the rubber bands suggested in the article, NW Spine possesses science and technology-based exercise machines that are tools capable of precise and specific muscular overload within a specificed range-of-motion. The sidebar further suggests determining the ratio of hamstring-to-quadricep strength, a rare capability that our clinic possesses. Moreover, our computerized MedX Medical Knee Machine can reveal at what knee angles any muscle imbalances exist, and we can compare strength between sides of a given individual or with gender-specific population averages. The following is a brief description of our program:
The Lower Extremity Testing & Strengthening Program: This program is appropriate for young female and male athletes, as well as older populations or any recreational sport enthusiast.
Program description:
One-on-one session with your exercise specialist comprised of the following
MedX Medical Knee Machine strength testing and balance/proprioceptive assessment at initial baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks
15 minutes of instructed warm-up on Woodway treadmills, Sci-Fit recumbent or upright cycles, or Sci-Fit elliptical
30 minutes of concentrated lower extremity progressive resistance exercise including MedX Strength & Conditioning Machines: leg press, leg extension, seated leg curl, hip abduction, hip adduction, seated calf, hip extension
Select balance, proprioceptive, and functional activities
Program benefits:
Protects major joints of the lower extremity: hip, knee, and ankle
Normalizes strength ratios of major thigh muscles: hamstrings and quadriceps
Enhances balance and sports performance
Increases lower extremity muscle and connective tissue strength
Increases lower extremity bone density
Program recommendation:
3 sessions per week
Investment:
$35 per session
The Lower Extremity Strengthening Program was designed by and is implemented by the highly qualified NW Spine staff. The NW Spine staff holds a variety of licensures, advanced degrees, and certifications in the fields of physical therapy, exercise physiology, strength and conditioning, sports nutrition, and massage therapy. Our staff also exhibits a diverse background in athletics, including experience in Division I collegiate strength and conditioning. Importantly, our staff have not only successfully prepared athletes, some have been successful competitive athletes themselves.
NW Spine is a 4500-square-foot physical therapy and sports conditioning facility on the second floor of the Bank of America Building in downtown Portland. We offer the industry’s most advanced resistance, stretching and cardiovascular equipment. NW Spine is conveniently located on the MAX line and gladly validates parking. We are committed to the patient or client’s total satisfaction.
We think you’ll find NW Spine to be equipped with the technology and knowledge to prepare athletes and protect them from the physical and psychological trauma of a serious but largely preventable injury. We encourage you to look to an authoritative source on behalf of an athlete you care about. There are a limited number of openings for this specialized and in-demand program. Please call with any questions or to schedule a personal tour of our facility.
Sincerely,
NW Spine Management, Rehabilitation and Sports Conditioning