Shredded ACL? What Should You Expect?

An ACL is basically a strong rubber band, a rubber band that connects your upper leg to your lower leg. It helps prevent the lower leg from popping out. And when you're twisting, it acts like a pivot, so you're allowed to twist without your knee

continuing to twist all the way around. It's rare to retear it nine years later, because the majority of people who have an ACL tear in the NFL don't play another nine years. If you don't have an ACL, you can walk in a straight line.

You can jog in a straight line. If you try to jump, land, or make a cut, make a change in direction fast, without an ACL, you can't do it. ACL surgery has evolved since 2006. So we're getting better and better at doing that surgery.

Look, my job's done in an hour, OK? If I do my job right, I'm going to put the wheels back on the car, and you're going to be able to drive. Now, what physical therapy does is teach the person to get in that car with the new wheels and drive it correctly.

We've learned, over the nine years since Carson Palmer's initial injury, a more structured rehab. More objective data. Better ways to test. Better ways to prepare the athlete to get back on the field.

Go. Back pedal, back pedal, back pedal. Good.

Today we're going to do on-the-field return-to-play testing. At this point, the athlete has passed the basic drills and is ready safely to progress to sports-specific drills for that athlete.

Bring it home, bring it home, bring it home, let's go. Good.

So you've got to have quick feet, you've got to have good balance, and you've got to have good stability.

I'm looking at several things. First, I'm looking at time. What was his time before the season, before he was injured? What is this time now? Second thing I'm looking at-- is he hesitant? Does he look like he doesn't want to push off his injured leg?

Does he not want to move towards his injured leg? Third thing I'm looking at is I'm looking at is trunk. How's the control of his trunk? Because if he does not have good control of his trunk, he can't control his lower extremity.

That could set him up for a possible injury.

If you're not willing to put the commitment in, you're probably not going to have as good an outcome. And that's something that players, parents, coaches, they all need to realize, that you can't fake this. You've got to be committed. You've got to listen to your therapist.

You've got to do the plan, and then you're going to have a high chance of success.