Hopping backwards could be a good way to test recovery from ACL surgery Backwards hops require more knee function and strength than hopping forward or upward The test is also relatively easy to perform THURSDAY, Sept. 19, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Hopping backward is a good test to see if someone’s ACL surgery has gone well, a new study says. That backward hop is an effective way of measuring the strength of a patient’s knee function, as well as the strength of their quadriceps, researchers reported recently in the .
And all it takes is a tape measure. “The goal is to help practitioners have an easy way to measure where people are after an ACL injury and during recovery,” said lead researcher , an assistant professor of health, sport & exercise sciences at the University of Kansas. About 120,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur each year in the United States, researchers said in background notes.
This ligament helps keep the knee stable, but it can be torn through heavy bending or twisting. About one-third of young, active people re-injure their ACL after returning to play following knee surgery, researchers noted. In fact, ACL re-injuries are 15 times more common than initial ACL tears.
As a result, it’s crucial to make sure someone is fully recovered before clearing them for exercise and competition, researchers said. Hopping forward is currently a common means of measuring recovery from knee surgery, but “studies reported that the forward hopping .