SAFEKIDSACL PREVENTION

Derek K. Lichota MD

ACL PREVENTION

• Why is this an issue?– 500,000 injuries a year(estimate)– Athlete• Pain• Time lost in sports(6-18 mo.)• Missed school• Late arthritic issues

ACL PREVENTION

• Background– Male or Female?• Both but females have about 3-5 times the incidence of

occurrence

ACL PREVENTION

• Background– Contact or noncontact?• Both: non-contact is at least 70% of the injuries

ACL PREVENTION

• BRACE OR NO BRACE?– No evidence to support prophylactic bracing– Is it a reasonable thing to do?– What is the cost?

ACL PREVENTION

• Brace costs• $350 for off the shelf brace• Marketing tool• Is it indicated?

ACL PREVENTION

• FITNESS– General fitness– Sport specific fitness– Sport specific athletic skills

ACL PREVENTION

• PROPRIOCEPTION– What is it?• The ability to know where the joint is, in time and

space.

ACL PREVENTION

• PROPRIOCEPTION – Why is this important?• We might be able to decrease the incidence of ACL

injury by 50% or more• Females are at a greater risk than males

ACL PREVENTION

• Conditioning• Strength• Flexibility• Sport’s specificity

ACL PREVENTION

• Sport specific activity– Jump stop– Sudden deaccleration– Cut and pivot– Hyperextension – Jump

stop– Sudden

deceleration

ACL PREVENTION

• PEP PROGRAM– Prevent injury– Enhance Performance

– Santa Monica California

ACL PREVENTION

• PEP program– 15 min three times per week– Adding plyometrics– Neuromuscular training

ACL PREVENTION

• What does it cost?– 15 minutes of warm up– No special equipment– Commitment from players, coaches, trainers, and

physicians

ACL PREVENTION

• SOFT LANDINGS

ACL PREVENTION

• These programs have shown a decrease in the incidence of knee injuries by up to 70%

ACL PREVENTION

• WEB INTERACTION– ACL PREVENTION

ACL PREVENTION

• QUESTIONS?

ACL PREVENTION

• THANK YOU