Expert Insights on Performance & Recovery
Inside the OR: What Two ACL Reconstructions Taught Us
We spend months with ACL patients after surgery. We rarely get to see the 90 minutes that set the rehab in motion.
This past week we had the opportunity to scrub in and participate in surgery with Dr. Mitchel Robinson, a local orthopedic surgeon from Panorama Orthopedics in Golden, and his team. During our day in the OR, we were able to observe 2 different ACL-reconstructions and discuss not only the surgery itself but the considerations that went into them.
Why Your Knees Hurt on Descents
You crush the climb. Lungs burning, legs on fire.
You summit, you soak in the views you worked so hard for, and you’re feeling good.
You turn around and start heading down. And by the time you're back at the trailhead, your knees are barking and talking with every step. Sound familiar?
Returning to Sport & High-Level Performance After Surgery
Every return-to-sport timeline depends on the individual and their goals, the specific procedure, surgeon protocol, and how the body responds to rehab. There's no universal framework that fits every knee, back, shoulder, hip, or ankle, but there are a few specific, trackable considerations that hold true for each region.
Here are our top considerations in post-surgical care of our patients to facilitate a successful recovery from early rehabilitation to high-level performance.
So You Have a Torn Meniscus?
You squatted down, might have twisted weird on the field, or maybe your knee just started hurting out of nowhere, and now someone's mentioned a meniscus tear. But what does that actually mean?
Let's break it down.
The Runners Guide to ITB Syndrome
If you’ve ever dealt with ITB syndrome or been chasing it for months, the most common recommendation for management seen online is foam rolling until you cry, stretch it til it snaps, and take time off. You’ve done this, the pain is better….. but then you start running again and at mile three you feel it again. No you are not alone and no you are not unlucky.
You have been treating the smoke, not the fire.
Bend Your Knee in Your ACL Reconstruction Rehab
ACL reconstructions and any ligament injury for that matter can be a difficult journey. When you lay it out on paper, there seems to be a never ending list of physical deficits to address in order to get back to doing what you love. One cannot under appreciate the significance of finding the right provider and physical therapist to simplify this process and provide the proper guidance in your rehab.
While there are a number of checkpoints and physical characteristics that we try to develop along the way, there’s one phrase that never seems to disappear, even by the end.