Neurocognitive and Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Techniques after ACL injury - Part 2: Maximizing Performance in the Advanced Return to Sport Phase.
Zachary M Thomas, Lewis Lupowitz, Morgan Ivey and 1 others
PMID 39628780WHAT IT FOUND
Athletes often struggle to return to sport due to lingering neurocognitive deficits that standard strength tests miss.
Integrating dual-task drills and reactive testing into advanced rehab phases may better prepare athletes for unpredictable game demands and reduce reinjury risk.
Key findings
01Current return to sport testing often fails to account for neurocognitive deficits, leading to continued reinjury rates and poor performance.
02Adding cognitive loads to physical tasks, such as hop tests, reveals performance deficits that standard testing misses.
03The authors recommend integrating neurocognitive training and reactive testing into advanced rehabilitation phases to bridge the gap between return to sport and return to performance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This is a narrative review and expert opinion, not a randomized controlled trial. The proposed interventions are not tested for efficacy in this paper. The paper cites other studies for its claims but does not perform a systematic search or meta-analysis, so the strength of evidence for specific drills is not quantified. The recommendations are based on the authors' interpretation of existing literature, which may not be universally accepted or standardized across all clinical settings.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The paper mentions specific commercial products (e.g., BlazePod, Quickboard, Trazer) but does not state any financial relationship with these companies.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the proposed drills and testing criteria as proven interventions. This paper presents a theoretical framework and expert recommendation based on existing literature, not new evidence that these specific methods reduce reinjury rates compared to standard care.