Principles to Practice: Advanced ACL Rehabilitation

Principles to Practice: Advanced ACL Rehabilitation

A 2-Day Practical Course for Clinicians

NEW DATES: 5–6 September 2026 | Cape Town

ACL rehab isn’t about protocols alone; it’s about decision-making, progression, and knowing why you’re loading, testing, or holding back.

Principles to Practice: Advanced ACL Rehabilitation is a hands-on, clinically grounded workshop designed to bridge the gap between evidence and real-world application. Across two intensive days, you’ll move from foundational ACL concepts through to late-stage rehab, return-to-run, and change-of-direction progressions, all with practical tools you can use on Monday morning.

Who’s teaching?

Shaun Jankielsohn

Physiotherapist, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital

Dustin Maree

Sports Physiotherapist, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital

Both clinicians work daily with elite and complex ACL cases and bring a deeply practical, evidence-informed approach to rehab and performance.

What you’ll get

• 16 CPD-accredited points
• Digital certificate of completion
• A small-group learning environment (limited to 20 clinicians)
• Two full days of assessment, programming, and progression frameworks
• Exposure to force plates, velocity-based training, motor-control strategies, and return-to-sport decision-making

Event details

• Dates: Saturday & Sunday, 5–6 September 2026
• Time: 08:00 – 16:00 (both days)
• Investment: R6,500
• Location: Cape Town High Performance Centre, 15 Jordaan Street, CBD

Two-Day Agenda (Summary)

Day 1: Foundations, Motor Control & Strength

From anatomy and graft choice to building a robust early-to-mid-stage rehab plan

Morning

• ACL anatomy, injury mechanisms, and common rehab pitfalls
• Graft types (pros, cons, and rehab implications)
• Outcomes of ACL reconstruction and what they really mean for RTP & RTT
• Movement assessment and hypothesis-driven clinical reasoning

Midday

• Bed-based and movement assessments
• Motor control strategies for:
• Ankle
• Hip
• Trunk
• Translating assessment findings into structured rehab plans

Afternoon

• Restoring terminal knee extension
• Quadriceps loading:
• Isometrics
• Open- and closed-chain pathways
• Velocity-based strength concepts
• Hamstring progressions (bridge, thrust, hinge, knee-dominant)
• Session building and progression principles

Day 2: Power, Running & Change of Direction

Late-stage rehab, performance metrics, and return-to-sport decision-making

Morning

• Explosiveness: concentric vs eccentric strategies
• Countermovement jumps using force plates
• Reactive strength and unlocking RSI
• Criteria to initiate running
• Load progression principles

Midday

• Running mechanics:
• Mid-stance
• Vertical ground reaction force
• Toe-off
• Deceleration mechanics
• Anti-rotation strategies
• Practical assessments and progressions

Afternoon

• Change of direction:
• Step and pattern variations
• Component breakdowns
• Acceleration strategies
• Integrating strength, running, and COD into late-stage ACL rehab
• Wrap-up, discussion, and clinical takeaways

Who should attend?

• Physiotherapists
• Biokineticists
• Sports rehabilitation clinicians
• Performance-focused rehab professionals working with ACL injuries

Speakers

Shaun Jankielsohn

Shaun Jankielsohn is a physiotherapist with extensive experience in elite sports medicine, currently practising at Aspetar Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Hospital. His career spans high-performance environments across football, cricket, rugby, and hockey, with expertise in injury assessment, ACL rehabilitation, cartilage rehabilitation, concussion management, and multidisciplinary coordination. At Aspetar, he has led the development of clinical protocols, rehabilitation pathways, and performance monitoring tools, while contributing to research, education, and international conferences. With a strong foundation in evidence-based practice and a commitment to athlete-centred care, he strives to optimise recovery, enhance performance, and advance physiotherapy standards within elite sport.

Dustin Maree

Dustin Maree is a highly experienced sports physiotherapist with over 15 years of expertise in elite sports medicine and rehabilitation. Based at Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha, Qatar, he specialises in lower-limb injuries with a particular focus on ACL and cartilage rehabilitation. Dustin has worked extensively with elite athletes and has contributed to globally recognised ACL clinical practice guidelines, delivering evidence-based rehabilitation and return-to-play protocols. Dustin has worked pitch-side at major international sporting events and previously served as Head Sports at Ajax Cape Town FC. A skilled mentor and workshop presenter, he is passionate about knowledge transfer and advancing clinical practice. Attendees can expect structured decision-making tools and immediately applicable strategies to confidently progress ACL rehabilitation through to high-performance return to sport.