ACL Injury Prevention Program

Whether you're looking to bounce back from an ACL tear or prevent one from happening, the ACL Injury Prevention Program can help you.

This 9-week program from UPMC Sports Performance helps athletes reduce the risk of non-contact ACL injuries while improving athletic performance.

Endorsed by many top doctors in the Pittsburgh area, the program is open to:

• Healthy athletes between the ages of 12 and 50 who want to increase performance.
• Athletes that have had ACL surgery and completed physical therapy.
• Teams and groups looking to train and help prevent ACL injury.

Pricing options for the ACL Injury Prevention Program:

Individual athletes and groups up to 9: $400/9-week total cost per person ($20 per person for each session)

Teams of 10 or more athletes: $200/9-week total cost per person ($10 per person for each session)

ACL Injury Prevention Program Schedule

At the first session, our ACL program experts will:

• Give you a thorough screening to help find your potential risks for ACL injury and re-injury.
• Introduce you to the concepts of dynamic warm-up.
• Ask you to complete a workout.
• Re-screen you in a fatigued state and compare with your resting results.

During the 9-week program, you will attend training sessions twice a week that focus on:

• Lower body strength and power
• Core strength
• Flexibility
• Landing techniques
• Balance

At the end of weeks 3, 6, and 9, we will screen you again in a fatigued state and compare the data to prior screenings.

We'll also include you in our research that studies the incidence of ACL tears after completing the program. We will follow up with you after the season of your main sport and again at one year after program completion.

How the ACL Injury Prevention Program Can Help You

Improve your athletic performance

Backed by evidence-based methods, this program will help you improve your athletic performance by focusing training on:

• Strength
• Agility
• Plyometric training

Some performance tasks include:

• Pro-agility run
• Vertical jump
• Hop distance

Prevent repeat ACL injuries

Studies show that following ACL reconstruction surgery:

• Athletes are 15 times more likely than the general population to have a second ACL injury.
• Around 30 percent of athletes will re-injure their ACL within 24 months of their first surgery.
• Compared to male athletes, female athletes are 4 times more likely to suffer a graft re-tear and 6 times more likely to suffer an injury on the other side of the ACL.

The ACL Injury Prevention Program seeks to help athletes reverse these trends through an evidence-based model that:

• Increases strength
• Improves performance
• Reduces the chance for re-injury

Return to your sport after ACL surgery

Along with ACL injury prevention, another goal of our program is to help you return to your sport at a higher level of performance than before your injury.

Studies show that within one year of ACL reconstruction surgery:

• Only one-third of athletes return to their previous level of competition.
• Less than 50 percent return to the same level of play within two to seven years.
• Only 81 percent will return to any level of athletic participation.

These stats show that many athletes never get back to playing their sport or performing at the same level.

After an ACL injury, it's crucial to focus on proper technique, muscle balance, and core strength. Our program provides personalized, sport-specific training so you can safely return to your sport.

ACL Program Experts

Rick Joreitz, PT, DPT, SCS, ATC
Team Physical Therapist, Pittsburgh Penguins®
Sr. Physical Therapist, UPMC Centers for Rehab Services

Ron DeAngelo, ATC, LAT, CSCS
Director, UPMC Sports Performance Program

Make An Appointment at UPMC Sports Medicine

To make an appointment or learn more about the ACL Injury Prevention Program, call 412-432-3871 or email joreitzre@upmc.edu. For more information about our comprehensive sports medicine servces, visit UPMC Sports Medicine.