Dre’Mont Jones strolled into training camp check-in yesterday ready to start his career as a Buckeye. The four-star defensive end from Cleveland St. Ignatius is already showcasing impressive fortitude. He tore his ACL this past March during his high school basketball sectional final and underwent ACL reconstruction on March 31, which puts him just over the four-month mark post-operatively.
In fact, Jones was bearing full weight on his ACL and brace-free already on April 18 at the Ohio State spring game, less than three weeks after his surgery. It’s fine – superhuman is synonymous with Buckeye.
Clearly, Jones has handled his setback in an exemplary fashion, but is he completely ready for the full spectrum of maneuverability on the field? He might be close.
There are four phases of recovery after an ACL reconstruction, and the speed with which individuals progress through these stages varies greatly. The typical timeline for complete recovery is usually cited to be around six months with return to some sport-specific play as early as month five. The recovery timeline is generally as follows:
Phase I (Day 1–Week 2): The goal here is to protect the new ACL graft and minimize swelling. A brace is worn and locked in an extension position for walking and sleeping. The brace is only unlocked when working on range-of-motion exercises with a physical therapist.
If the surgery involved a meniscus repair or a microfracture procedure, the patient cannot bear weight for an entire four weeks. This was not the case for Jones; that’s a good sign that his ACL tear was fairly uncomplicated.
Phase II (Weeks 3–6): Normal walking starts. Stairs are incorporated. More range-of-motion exercises are included in this phase along with some strengthening exercises (partial squats, hamstring curls, hip exercises, stationary bike with light resistance).
Patients can be cleared to walk without the brace if they are demonstrating adequate control of the quad muscles for knee joint support. As mentioned, Jones was walking out of his brace on post-op day 18, and he looked comfortable doing it.
Phase III (Weeks 6–12): The patient is still working on range-of-motion and strength here, but more balance training is mixed in. Water therapy and swimming are also used in this phase of recovery for more complex movement training.
Phase IV (Months 3–6): This is the money phase. Dre’Mont Jones is here. Athletes begin forward jogging and even more strengthening. Around month five is when agility training is safe, like side steps, crossovers, jumping, sprints, ladder drills, and cutting.
Medical clearance: Timing for definitive medical clearance is completely in the hands of the physician. The athlete should have full range of motion, stability, and strength. There should be no swelling. The surgical ACL graft should be comparable to the contralateral ACL. The athlete will likely continue to wear a brace for up to one year during contact play and ideally for agility training, as well.
Some variables in rehabilitation time include involvement of other structures in the injury (commonly the MCL and medial meniscus), the graft choice (specific tissue type used to replace the ACL), the patient’s dedication to rigorous and time-intensive physical therapy, the functional demands of the patient’s knee, and potential post-operative complications.
Whether or not Dre’Mont Jones will be 100% healthy this season, we can look forward to an incredible show of talent when he’s ready. Any athlete who can maintain a positive attitude in the midst of an obstacle so early in his college career is a role model to be celebrated. Welcome to Buckeye Nation, No. 86.
References:
- Frobell RB, Roos EM, Roos HP, Ranstam J, Lohmander LS. A randomized trial of treatment for acute anterior cruciate ligament tears. N Engl J Med. 2010 Jul 22;363(4):331-42.
- Shaieb MD, Kan DM, Chang SK, et al. A Prospective Randomized Comparison of Patellar Tendon Versus Semitendinosus and Gracilis Tendon Autografts for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction. Am J Sports Med 2002;30(2):214-220.
- http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00297
- http://orthodoc.aaos.org/jasonfreedmanmd/ACL%20recon.pdf
