Lifecare Australia trials new ACL injury recovery treatment

Exploring a new approach to ACL injury recovery

Across Australia, Lifecare is playing a pivotal role in delivering a new approach to ACL injury recovery to help people heal from one of the most common and disruptive knee injuries.

As part of a national clinical trial, Lifecare, part of APM Group, is exploring the Cross-bracing protocol, a non-surgical treatment developed to support natural healing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

It’s a significant shift from the traditional path of surgical reconstruction, and it’s being led by physiotherapists trained in this novel method.

Dr Jane Rooney (PHD), a Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist with Lifecare and Associate Clinical Professor at Swinburne University, has been closely involved in the project.

She explains, “The ACL is a ligament that joins the femur, or the thigh bone, to the tibia or the shin bone, and it's inside the knee. It's commonly injured in cutting, pivoting, jumping, or landing.”

In Australia, ACL injuries are typically managed with surgery, where a graft is used to replace the damaged ligament.

“They'll take either your hamstring or sometimes your patellar tendon… and then they'll use that graft… to sort of replace the old ACL,” she says.

The Cross-bracing protocol offers a different path.

Dr Jane Rooney walks with a patient in crutches and a knee brace

Dr Jane Rooney treats a young man with a knee injury lying down on a treatment table.

Steph, a professor at Melbourne University involved with research on the trial, describes it as a way to bring the two ends of the ruptured ACL closer together, increasing the chance of healing.

“You're more likely to have a bridge of connective tissue and therefore healing of the ligament,” she explains.

Lifecare clinics are not only delivering the treatment but also training physiotherapists in how to fit the brace and support rehabilitation.

Cost is another factor driving interest.

“Even the best braces that we use are about $750, which is way less expensive than, you know, up to $25,000*,” says Dr Rooney.

For workplaces and communities with limited access to surgery, this could be a popular treatment option.

Reflecting on the project, Dr Rooney shares, “This has been a very exciting project to be involved in because it's probably the biggest change in ACL injury management in my whole career.

“It's great to be part of a legacy, to leave the profession and people maybe in a better place than when I came into this space.”

This information is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual physiotherapy outcomes may vary.

* Indicative cost of surgery