What 120+ ACL Studies Reveal About Re-Injury Risk & Confidence

Join hosts Jill Thein-Nissenbaum and Lori Thein Brody for the next episode of Did You Know?, featuring guest Mark Paterno, PT, PhD, Clinical Scientist and Senior Clinical Director at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. In this episode, Mark shares groundbreaking research on ACL re-injury risk — including the surprising finding that athletes who meet return-to-sport criteria AND have high knee-related confidence are 10 times more likely to sustain a second ACL injury. The conversation digs into the biopsychosocial factors influencing outcomes, the importance of guiding athletes through the full return-to-sport continuum, and exciting pilot data on "booster visits" — intermittent PT check-ins after discharge — that may improve patient-reported outcomes, physical activity levels, and long-term sports participation. If you work with post-ACL patients, this episode will challenge how you think about criteria, confidence, and your role beyond the clinic.Target Audience: Orthopedic physical therapists, sports physical therapists, pediatric physical therapists, athletic trainers, sports medicine clinicians, physical therapy researchers, physical therapy educators, student physical therapists