---
_id: '34022'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: <jats:p>Background: Medical professionals working in an elite sport environment
    have the challenging task to balance the athlete’s readiness to return to the
    playing field after severe injury with other stakeholders’ (coaches, sponsors,
    teammates) opinions and objectives.Objectives: Our study aimed to evaluate differences
    in the physical profiles of elite rugby players at return to play (RTP) after
    a severe knee injury, compared with their pre-injury profiles and matched controls.Method: Before
    the injury, participants performed four performance tests during their preseason
    screening. These tests were repeated and compared to baseline once a player was
    declared fit to play.Results: Significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were found in
    the injured players’ group who were slower over 10 m speed, in their decision-making
    time and the total time of the reactive agility tests at RTP, whilst controls
    were significantly faster over 10 m and 30 m speed tests. The countermovement
    jump outcomes showed significant improvement in the uninjured participants (p ≤
    0.05).Conclusion: Our study highlights that injured players’ running speeds and
    decision-making times are slower after injury. The uninjured players have a positive
    outcome to training and match stimulus by improving their running speed and lower
    body explosive power during the season.Clinical implications: Our study provides
    insight into the RTP profile of elite rugby players, and a novel finding was the
    decision-making time deficit. This highlights the importance of cognitive training
    during injury rehabilitation as athletes make numerous decisions in a pressured
    and uncontrolled environment during a match. Speed training development is recommended
    as the athletes were slower after severe knee injury.</jats:p>
author:
- first_name: Aneurin D.
  full_name: Robyn, Aneurin D.
  last_name: Robyn
- first_name: Quinette A.
  full_name: Louw, Quinette A.
  last_name: Louw
- first_name: Jochen
  full_name: Baumeister, Jochen
  id: '46'
  last_name: Baumeister
  orcid: 0000-0003-2683-5826
citation:
  ama: Robyn AD, Louw QA, Baumeister J. Return to play in elite rugby players after
    severe knee injuries. <i>South African Journal of Physiotherapy</i>. 2022;78(1).
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1629">10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1629</a>
  apa: Robyn, A. D., Louw, Q. A., &#38; Baumeister, J. (2022). Return to play in elite
    rugby players after severe knee injuries. <i>South African Journal of Physiotherapy</i>,
    <i>78</i>(1). <a href="https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1629">https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1629</a>
  bibtex: '@article{Robyn_Louw_Baumeister_2022, title={Return to play in elite rugby
    players after severe knee injuries}, volume={78}, DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1629">10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1629</a>},
    number={1}, journal={South African Journal of Physiotherapy}, publisher={AOSIS},
    author={Robyn, Aneurin D. and Louw, Quinette A. and Baumeister, Jochen}, year={2022}
    }'
  chicago: Robyn, Aneurin D., Quinette A. Louw, and Jochen Baumeister. “Return to
    Play in Elite Rugby Players after Severe Knee Injuries.” <i>South African Journal
    of Physiotherapy</i> 78, no. 1 (2022). <a href="https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1629">https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1629</a>.
  ieee: 'A. D. Robyn, Q. A. Louw, and J. Baumeister, “Return to play in elite rugby
    players after severe knee injuries,” <i>South African Journal of Physiotherapy</i>,
    vol. 78, no. 1, 2022, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1629">10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1629</a>.'
  mla: Robyn, Aneurin D., et al. “Return to Play in Elite Rugby Players after Severe
    Knee Injuries.” <i>South African Journal of Physiotherapy</i>, vol. 78, no. 1,
    AOSIS, 2022, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1629">10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1629</a>.
  short: A.D. Robyn, Q.A. Louw, J. Baumeister, South African Journal of Physiotherapy
    78 (2022).
date_created: 2022-11-07T09:31:02Z
date_updated: 2022-11-07T11:55:27Z
department:
- _id: '17'
doi: 10.4102/sajp.v78i1.1629
intvolume: '        78'
issue: '1'
keyword:
- Physical Therapy
- Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
language:
- iso: eng
publication: South African Journal of Physiotherapy
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 2410-8219
  - 0379-6175
publication_status: published
publisher: AOSIS
status: public
title: Return to play in elite rugby players after severe knee injuries
type: journal_article
user_id: '46'
volume: 78
year: '2022'
...