AUTHOR=Vagy Jared , Schöffl Volker , Ohde Julia , Petersen Wolf , Lutter Christoph 

TITLE=Anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation and return to sport in rock climbing athletes: a practical concept paper

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

VOLUME=Volume 7 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1580509

DOI=10.3389/fspor.2025.1580509

ISSN=2624-9367

ABSTRACT=BackgroundAcute ACL tears are becoming increasingly common among rock climbing athletes, particularly those who engage in bouldering.Hypothesis/purposeThe purpose of the paper was to develop a rehabilitation and return to sport protocol for rock climbing athletes after an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.Study designThe protocol is designed in 6 phases and emphasizes the importance of sport-specific postoperative rehabilitation protocols that address the unique needs of rock climbing athletes and stresses the need for sport-specific training prior to returning to full activity.MethodsThe proposed rehabilitation protocol follows the stages of typical postoperative ACL protocols but with an emphasis on climbing-specific demands, such as eccentric landing mechanics and penduluming into a wall during lead climbing.ResultsClimbers will be able to utilize the protocol to return to rock climbing.ConclusionThis paper highlights the need for further research on the topic and provides a foundation for future studies examining ACL tears in climbing athletes.