Return-to-Play Challenges in Young Female Athletes | Kathy Coyner

Join Stephania Bell, PT, OCS Emeritus, CSCS—senior writer and injury analyst for ESPN— as she sits down at AOSSM 2025 with Dr. Kathy Coyner, Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at UConn Health, Director of the UConn Women’s Center for Motion and Performance, and Team Physician for UConn Athletics.In this conversation, Dr. Coyner discusses ACL injury trends in female athletes, communication across multidisciplinary teams, the impact of NIL and external training providers, and evolving surgical considerations—including lateral extra-articular tenodesis—for reducing failure rates.Physical therapists will gain insight into:- Navigating return-to-play vs. return-to-performance in high school vs. collegiate athletes- How psychological readiness shapes RTP timelines and re-injury risk- Prevention strategies and implementation barriers in youth female athletes- Surgical factors influencing outcomes in females (hyperlaxity, graft choice, LET)- How team communication and consistent messaging support better rehab outcomesTarget Audience:physical therapists, orthopedic physical therapists, sports PTs, PT students, athletic trainers, strength & conditioning coaches, rehab specialists, sports medicine providers, clinic directors, PT educators, biomechanists, basketball medicine staff, youth sports cliniciansReferenced study:Getgood AMJ, Bryant DM, Litchfield R, et al. Lateral Extra-articular Tenodesis Reduces Failure of Hamstring Tendon Autograft Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: 2-Year Outcomes From the STABILITY Study Randomized Clinical Trial. The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020;48(2):285-297. doi:10.1177/0363546519896333