Physiotherapy
Knee Ligament Injury Prevention Program (KLIPP)
Specific sports like soccer, volleyball and basketball increase the risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury for their athletes. Significant benefit of physical conditioning interventions in the prevention of injuries has been reported in several studies, particularly with respect to the reduction of ACL injuries. F-MARC, the medical research centre of The Federal Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has recently developed the “the 11”; a program consisting of ten physical exercise in addition to the promotion of Fair Play. While most of the preventative research has been conducted on soccer players, any athlete whose sport involves jumping, landing or pivoting can benefit from the KLIPP program.
The following program has been adapted specifically toward the prevention of ACL injuries and has been shown to significantly reduce non-contact ACL injuries. It consists of a warm-up, stretching, strengthening, plyometrics (jumping exercises), agilities and a cool-down to address potential deficits in the strength and coordination of the stabilizing muscles around the knee joint.
It is important that proper technique is used during all of the exercises. Coaches and trainers need to emphasize correct posture, straight up and down jumps without excessive side-to-side movement and reinforce soft landings. The program should be completed 3 times a week and should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete, with a cool-down to follow. Alongside each exercise a box has been provided showing the approximate amount of time that should be spent on each activity.
For more information on this program or to request a brochure, contact us at hpc@uoguelph.ca.
