For elite athletes in the modern day, there’s little doubt over whether they will actually make a return. “For me it’s not: ‘are going to get back?’ because the surgery is so good now,” Upson explains. “It’s: ‘Are you going to get back without any problems?’”
“The biggest challenges you get are getting full extension back in the leg, full range back in the joint. That’s crucial because I had a lot of follow-on injuries after that. I had hamstring, back… patterning issues off the back of not getting quite enough range in the leg after initial surgery.”
Dr. Brar confirms that “research shows there is increased risk for injury all along the lower body after returning from ACL rupture due to compensation along the kinetic chain”. It’s impossible to prepare a body going through rehab for the shock of proper contact training.
Hamstrings are frequently an issue. If the graft has been taken from the hamstring, that area is particularly susceptible to short-term tightness and strains. A muscular injury, or even a small corrective surgery, in the latter stages of a comeback is not uncommon. The greater concern, however, are the long-term issues created by compensation.