ACL Tears: Non surgical management
ACL injuries are an extremely common and costly injury in the Australian general and sporting population. Almost routinely, patients are offered surgical care to return to high-level activity and pivoting sports. This concept, as well as the dire view of a patient or athlete who has suffered an ACL tear has been widely propagated in mass media, and has affected populations both amateur and professional. Current best research challenges these ingrained paradigms.
This unique course will give clinicians the confidence to best assess, and provide a comprehensive non-surgical management program to, a patient presenting post ACL injury. During the course, participants will participate in: discussion around evidence-based risks, harms and benefits of non-operative and operative ACL tear care research-based assessments that assist determination of return to play case study discussions of both non-operative and operative patients. observation of the presenter's assessment, management and creation of a Treatment Management Plan for a patient with an acute ACL tear (If a patient can be sourced, this session will be incorporated into or replace the case study session).
Learning outcomes
- Recollect the history of ACL injury assessment and management
- Recite the key research base for non-operative versus operative ACL tear management, discussion around evidence-based shared-decision making, ethics and motivational interviewing strategies to assist in the formation of a comprehensive treatment management plan for each individual client
- Perform a variety of physical assessments for a suspected ACL tear
- Implement a broad range of manual therapy techniques in the acute phase of the injury, to assist in reducing pain and swelling, improve range of motion and muscle length and normalising muscle activation and patterns of movement
- Implement current-best functional strength and conditioning, motor-control and balance/proprioception principles that can be utilised in the acute phase of the injury, mid to end stage evidence-based strengthening, cutting and return to play/sports-specific exercises that can be used to return to pivoting sports
- Judiciously utilise validated and reliable screening questionnaires and outcome measures to use at the initial consultation and prior to potential return to play
Prerequisites
- This course is available to qualified and AHPRA registered physiotherapists and may be also available to other AHPRA registered practitioners.