ACL Quad Tendon Graft Research with Dr. Brett
One of the first big decisions in your ACL injury recovery is choosing a graft to reconstruct your ACL. Historically, there have been two primary grafts to choose from: a patellar tendon graft or a hamstring graft. However, neither of these grafts are the “perfect” option and both have pros and cons.
This has led researchers and orthopedic surgeons to continue to look for new graft options. A newer graft has gained popularity in the last 3-5 years is a graft harvested from your quadriceps tendon (the tendon right above your knee cap). This new graft is becoming more common and more research about the rehabilitation process and outcomes with this new graft is coming out everyday.
If you would like even more information on the pros and cons of each type of graft for your ACL reconstruction, check out our FREE online mini-course – From Time of Injury to Surgery: Everything You Need to Know About ACL Rehab.
In this episode, we summarized some new research about the quadriceps tendon graft and some rehab considerations if you have a quadriceps tendon graft in your ACL reconstruction. Specifically we discuss:
- Overview of ACL graft options & pros and cons of each graft
- Why doctors are trying new graft types
- Biggest differences between patellar tendon graft and quadriceps tendon graft
- Key differences in short- and long-term outcomes from quad tendon graft
- How using a quad tendon graft might alter your rehab time frame
- What questions you should ask your doctor about graft selection
- What exercises should you be doing in each stage of your ACL rehab if you had a quad tendon graft
This is a great episode for any patient or athlete that is either going through ACL rehab following a quad tendon graft or about to make the decision on which graft type they should use to reconstruct their ACL.
Listen at the top of this page, on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify.
Are you an athlete that has recently torn their ACL or in the middle of an ACL rehab? Do you feel like you have a clear plan to return to your prior level of performance using objective data to track your progress? We would love to help! Call us at (262)337-9331 or fill out this form to set up a free consultation with one of our specialized physical therapists. We specialize in helping high school, college and professional athletes not only recover from ACL injury, but return to the field or court performing at a high level.