International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Open Access
ISSN: 2329-9096
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2329-9096
+44 1300 500008
Sofia A Xergia
University of Cyprus, Cyprus
University of Ioannina, Greece
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Int J Phys Med Rehabil
Injury to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is not only one of the most common athletic injuries, but also one of the most debilitating, particularly in sports that involve frequent pivoting, cutting and landing from jump tasks. More than 250,000 ACL injuries occur in the USA annually and ACL injury constitutes 2.6% of all injuries according to the National Athletic Trainers� Association. Athletes who experience an ACL injury face a series of economic, social and psychological effects. The hospital costs alone associated with ACL reconstruction in Australia are over a $75 million per year and the annual population incidence of ACL reconstruction is between 1.7% -7.7% and in the USA more than 125,000 ACL reconstructions are performed every year. Returning athletes to competitive sports in a safe yet timely manner after ACL Reconstruction (ACLR) is a challenging task for rehabilitation professionals and orthopedic surgeons. Current rehabilitation protocols are based on specific guidelines and objective criteria that allow progression from one phase to the next. Despite the use of structured rehabilitation protocols, asymmetries persist after ACLR and the evaluation of the quantitative and qualitative criteria constitutes a major issue for the rehabilitative teams of the ACLR patients, in order to safely return to functional requirements. The goal of the rehabilitation protocols is to improve neuromuscular and biomechanical control while maintaining knee joint stability for a safe return to pre-injury activity level. Failure to successfully treat biomechanical and neuromuscular deficits may compromise functional recovery and increase the risk of re-injury.
Sofia A Xergia has completed her PhD from Medicine School of University of Ioannina, Greece. Currently, she is working as a Lecturer and Coordinator at Physiotherapy Program, Department of Health Sciences, School of Sciences of the European University of Cyprus. She is also a Research Collaborator with the Orthopedic Sports Medicine Center of Ioannina. She has published papers in the field of Sports Medicine and rehabilitation in many reputed journals.
Email: S.Xergia@euc.ac.cy