The ACL Athlete Podcast

In this episode, we start with a handful of words almost every ACL athlete hears at some point, usually right after raising a concern that will not go away. You did the work. You showed up. Your knee still does not feel like yours, and the answer you get back is the same one you got last month and the month before that. We talk about where that answer comes from, who it really serves, and what happens to people who stop questioning it around month six and on. There is one thing that separates the athletes who keep waiting from the ones who finally move, and most of us never think to ask for it. What is it, and have you been going without it? _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode we start with a sentence we hear far too often: your knee extension is "normal", it'll come back with time, or just keep working on it. One athlete heard some version of that for months. A scan early on showed something, but it was treated as normal. The knee stayed grumpy, progress stalled, and the athlete started to feel like the crazy one. When they finally came to us, we found something that had been in the way the whole time. This isn't about blaming anyone. It's about how often this gets missed and what it can cost when it does. So what should you be able to check on your own knee, and how long is too long to wait before you push for answers? _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode, we sit with an ACLer who told us he would almost rather hear that it was over so he could stop fighting it. He wasn't being dramatic. He was exhausted. For months he did everything he was told, showed up almost every day, and still could not get his knee to move the way it should. Healthcare is messy, and most people inside it are working hard, so this is not a story about villains. It's about what happens to an athlete, and to the people who love them, when the plan on paper and the reality at home stop matching. The numbers in the room looked fine, yet he kept leaving feeling like no one was really hearing him. So what was actually going on underneath the numbers everyone kept celebrating? _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode we look at two NFL quarterbacks, two knees, and one label stamped on both of them. One walked out under the lights on Monday night in week one. The other is still on the sideline answering questions at a podium, and the comment sections have already decided what his wait says about him. Same league, same headline, and timelines that could not look more different. Then he said something to a reporter that we rarely hear from a pro, and it changed how we read the entire situation. What was actually in that answer, and what does it mean for the athlete at home counting months? https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/falcons_michael_penix_jr_explains_why_his_recovery_is_different_than_patrick_mahomes/s1_13132_44314080 _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode we follow one athlete who had done everything right in recovery. Strong knee, no giving way, nothing to suggest a problem, until one ordinary moment on a wet pool deck changed the outcome entirely. We get into why that single moment carried more risk than anyone had prepared her for, and what it reveals about a decision so many ACL athletes face at some point in their recovery. If you are weighing that same decision right now, or you already made it months ago, we think you will want to know what is often not mentioned about what you are actually risking before you ever find yourself in a moment like hers. _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode, we get into something that quietly shapes how almost every ACL athlete feels on any given day, even when their knee is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. It is not a workout, a graft type, or a timeline. It is something most people never notice is happening until it already has. We talk about where this actually comes from, why it hits some people harder than others, and why two people going through the exact same recovery can end up feeling completely opposite about it. So what is actually driving how you feel about your own progress right now? _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode, we go back to a mistake made early in a career, one that quietly cost someone months they never got back. We talk about the feeling that creeps in during recovery long before anyone has words for it, and why so many people are trained to explain it away instead of trust it. We get into what it actually takes to catch a problem before it turns into a much bigger one, and why simply seeing a lot of cases is not the same thing as being good at spotting what matters. If you have ever had a nagging sense that something about your recovery was off, or wondered what actually separates a provider who catches things early from one who doesn't, stick around. By the end, you will understand why that mistake still shapes how an entire team runs their meetings every single week and a huge skillset that is vital for a great ACL PT. _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode, we open up our actual caseload and walk you through what a normal week of ACL rehab really looks like behind the scenes and the variety of cases we're working with. Not the highlight reel version, not the forum version, just real athletes navigating real complications most people never hear about until they are already living through one themselves. Some of these stories will sound nothing like what you pictured when you first got hurt, and that is exactly the point. So if your own recovery has felt messier than the semi-linear process you might have been expecting, we want you sitting with one question by the end of this. Are you actually "behind", or has nobody just told you the truth about what normal looks like yet for your particular case? _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode we get into the fear that hits almost every ACLer in the weeks after surgery, the quiet worry that one wrong step, one weird zing, one slip in the shower could undo everything. We share a message from a listener that fueled this episode, and we walk through the real moments so many people have panicked over, from a dog running into the knee to losing balance on crutches, and we also put numbers to the graft to help you understand why you might be more resilient than you think. So is that new graft really as fragile as it feels, or is the fear itself the bigger threat to your recovery? _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode, we tackle one of the most repeated pieces of advice in the ACL space, the idea that the best graft is simply the one your surgeon is best at. It sounds reasonable. Athletes hear it in consults, in physical therapy offices, and all over Reddit and Facebook groups. But there is a gap between that advice and the full picture, and it is a gap that has cost more than a few ACLers a smoother recovery. We break down what actually gets left out of that conversation and why it matters far more than most people realize before they ever sit down for a consult. If you are facing a graft decision, or you already have one and something has felt off since, this episode gets into exactly what question you should have been asking all along. _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode, we walk through a real case that has us fired up. An ACL athlete four and a half months post op, 40 physical therapy sessions in, finally hit a breaking point and told her PT to stop. We get into what was actually happening in that clinic, why it backfired, and a detail about her knee that should have been caught weeks earlier. We also break down the real difference between what builds lasting range of motion and what just feels like progress in the moment. If you've ever dreaded walking into a PT session, this one will change how you think about that feeling. _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode we get personal. We are pulling back the curtain on two ACL tears in two completely different chapters of life, and the nine lessons that came out of both. We talk about the moment denial feels more like certainty than fear, why the first six weeks matter more than people think, and why doing everything right does not always mean the knee cooperates. If you have ever felt behind in your own recovery, or you are the person guiding someone through theirs, this conversation will change how you think about the entire process. _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode we walk through the quiet signs that your ACL recovery might not be on the track it should be. We get into what actually separates a provider who knows what they're doing from one who is behind, the questions you should be able to answer but probably can't, and the moment we think you should stop giving someone the benefit of the doubt. This one is for ACL athletes who have a feeling something is off but can't quite name it, and for clinicians who want to sharpen how they show up for their own athletes. _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode, we open up about the side of ACL rehab that almost no one prepares you for, the mental toll that runs right alongside the physical recovery. We talk about why this process is a rollercoaster and not the clean linear path people expect, why the negative thoughts tend to hit harder than the wins, and what happens when the crutches ared done and everyone around you assumes you are fine while you are still deep in it. Whether you are an athlete fresh off surgery, someone years out still searching for answers, a clinician guiding these cases, or a parent or partner supporting someone you love, this one is a reminder that the mental half of recovery deserves just as much attention as the physical, and that no one should be walking this road alone. _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode, we break down why your knee extension might feel stuck after ACL surgery, and it is not about weakness or effort. We walk through arthrogenic muscle inhibition, a new EMG study showing how the brain co-activates the hamstrings to protect the knee, and the exact assessment and hamstring fatiguing drills to test if that protecting is what is holding back your extension. If you are an ACL athlete stuck trying to get extension back or a clinician managing this exact case, this episode gives you a new angle to add to what you are already doing. Knee Extension Assessment + Exercise Early Neuromuscular and Co-activation Patterns After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction In Males: A Case-control Exploratory Feasibility Study - Ricupito 2026 _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode, we close out our two-part NMES series by getting into the setup and execution details that make or break every individual session. We cover the five most common mistakes we see in how athletes actually run their NMES sessions: rushing the duty cycle and cutting rest short, placing pads in the wrong spots instead of over motor points, using electrode pads that are too small for the quad, letting poor skin contact and worn-out pads quietly degrade session quality, and unknowingly underperforming because of dead or fading batteries. We close with a rapid-fire breakdown of the key technical parameters every athlete and clinician should know: pulse duration, frequency range, how to vary contraction rate, and when to use voluntary versus involuntary contractions. If you listened to Part 1 and you are already using NMES, this episode is where you tighten everything up and make sure each session is actually delivering what it should. NMES Device: Balego on Amazon Pad and other equipment Motor Points for the Quads Motor point heatmap guide for neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the quadriceps muscle Muscle motor point identification is essential for optimizing neuromuscular electrical stimulation use NMES Research Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is effective in strengthening the quadriceps muscle after anterior cruciate ligament surgery - Hauger 2018 Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction on Quadriceps Strength, Function, and Patient-Oriented Outcomes : A Systematic Review - Kim 2010 Utility of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation to Preserve Quadriceps Muscle Fiber Size and Contractility After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries and Reconstruction: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled, Blinded Trial - Toth 2020 Can the Use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Be Improved to Optimize Quadriceps Strengthening? - Glaviano 2015 Who’s Afraid of Electrical Stimulation? Let’s Revisit the Application of NMES at the Knee - Arhos 2024 _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode we kick off a two-part series on one of the most valuable tools in ACL rehab: neuromuscular electrical stimulation, or NMES. We break down why arthrogenic muscle inhibition makes quad recovery so much harder than most athletes expect, why stopping NMES the moment the quad starts firing is one of the most common and costly mistakes we see, and how a simple shift in frequency and intensity can produce up to seven times more stimulus than a standard in-person PT session alone. We also cover the difference between a TENS unit and an NMES unit, what max tolerable intensity actually means in practice, and when to reintroduce NMES if quad strength has plateaued deep into recovery. Whether you are an ACL athlete, a clinician, a parent supporting someone through this process, or a coach working with post-op athletes, this episode gives you the knowledge to ask better questions and get more out of every session. NMES Device: Balego on Amazon Pad and other equipment Motor Points for the Quads Motor point heatmap guide for neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the quadriceps muscle Muscle motor point identification is essential for optimizing neuromuscular electrical stimulation use NMES Research Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is effective in strengthening the quadriceps muscle after anterior cruciate ligament surgery - Hauger 2018 Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction on Quadriceps Strength, Function, and Patient-Oriented Outcomes : A Systematic Review - Kim 2010 Utility of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation to Preserve Quadriceps Muscle Fiber Size and Contractility After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries and Reconstruction: A Randomized, Sham-Controlled, Blinded Trial - Toth 2020 Can the Use of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Be Improved to Optimize Quadriceps Strengthening? - Glaviano 2015 Who’s Afraid of Electrical Stimulation? Let’s Revisit the Application of NMES at the Knee - Arhos 2024 _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

Is knee soreness in ACL rehab normal, or a sign something is wrong? In this episode we break down the real difference between soreness and pain, why soreness shows up more in mid and late stage rehab, the three most common causes, and the exact framework we use with our athletes to know when to keep pushing and when to pull back. A simple way to read your knee instead of fearing the worst. _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode, we dig into one of the most common and quietly painful experiences in ACL recovery: being months or even years out from surgery and still not feeling close to where you thought you would be. We break down why the 9-to-12-month timeline, as useful as it is as a starting point, was never a guarantee, and why using it as a personal benchmark is setting so many athletes up to feel like they failed a recovery they were never given the right tools to complete. We walk through the real variables that extend timelines beyond what anyone warned you about, including injury complexity, graft type, complications like scar tissue and cyclops lesions, the quality and individualization of care inside a system not built for long recoveries, and the reality of life not pausing for rehab. We share real examples of athletes we are currently working with who are two years out, never been tested, or navigating their fourth ACL surgery, to show you that a longer road is not the exception. We close with a challenge to audit your own process honestly, because the difference between being stuck and making real progress often comes down to whether you actually know your numbers, have programming built for you specifically, and have someone who can tell you where you are and what comes next. _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com

In this episode, we take a deep dive into one of the most overlooked pieces of the ACL injury: bone bruising. Present in roughly 85% of ACL tears, bone bruises are almost always mentioned in the MRI report and almost always glossed over in the clinical conversation. We break down what a bone bruise actually is at the tissue level, why the classic "kissing contusion" pattern shows up on the lateral side of the knee, and how the Costa-Paz grading system helps us understand severity. We walk through three key research findings on healing timelines, cartilage risk, and long term outcomes. We also get into the practical rehab implications: why bone bruising is one of the strongest arguments for not rushing into surgery, how it contributes to slower swelling resolution and quad activation in prehab, what it means for early post-op loading, and how to use symptoms and criteria rather than the calendar to guide progressions. Whether you are an athlete trying to make sense of what your knee is telling you or a clinician looking to factor this into your clinical reasoning, this episode gives the bone bruise the airtime it deserves. _________ Want a clear plan for your ACL rehab? 1 on 1 Remote ACL Coaching is for ACLers who are tired of guessing. Objective testing so you know you are actually ready, a custom + structured program built around your goals, and an expert ACL coach in your corner from anywhere in the world. You will always know where you are, where you are going, and what to do next. Start with a free consult call: www.theaclathlete.com/coaching _________ Free weekly newsletter The ACL Athlete VALUE Newsletter . ACL advice, go-to exercises, research breakdowns, and the frameworks we use. _________ More from The ACL Athlete Website: www.theaclathlete.com Submit a topic or question for a future podcast episode Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravipatel.dpt Email: ravi@theaclathlete.com