The Challenge of Return to Sports for Patients Post-ACL Reconstruction

In this issue of the Journal, which complements the knee special issue published in March 2012, 4 groups of authors contribute their clinical perspectives on rehabilitation strategies and clinical as well as functional criteria for return to sports. What makes this group of papers unique is that each addresses a different sport (soccer, alpine skiing, football, and basketball) and, therefore, different functional and sports performance criteria. While several facets of rehabilitation are similar among these contributions, especially in the earlier stages of the rehabilitation process, noteworthy differences exist in how each group approaches strategies to return the athlete to their sports in the intermediate and final phases of rehabilitation