Impact of Functional Training on Injuries After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction for Return-to-Duty Status in U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen: A Retrospective Analysis.

Introduction: Acute anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries can be disabling because of prolonged rehabilitation process following surgical reconstructions. Rates of ACL injuries among military service members are close to 10 times greater than the general civilian population, likely because of the operation tempo and the unique physical requirements. Studies debated functional testing requirements for return to sports, but no study investigated the impact of functional training and re-injury rates following ACL reconstruction and their association with functional testing outcomes and time to return to full duty in United States Naval Academy (USNA) Midshipmen.