What score on the single leg triple hop for distance at 6 months will indicate a successful return to sports?

What score on the single leg triple hop for distance at 6 months will indicate a successful return to sports?

• A. >88% to the CL limb
• B. >90% to the CL limb
• C. >85% to the CL limb
• D. >80% to the CL limb

Answer: (A)

The main idea is using a single-leg triple hop for distance to gauge readiness to return to sport by measuring how the injured leg compares to the uninjured leg. You perform the hop test on both legs and compute the limb symmetry index (LSI): distance hopped on the injured leg divided by distance hopped on the contralateral leg, then multiplied by 100. A handier way to interpret it is: how close is the injured leg’s performance to the healthy leg? At 6 months post-injury or surgery, achieving an LSI greater than 88% means the injured leg can produce nearly the same power and control as the uninjured leg, suggesting the neuromuscular and strength deficits have been substantially resolved. This level of symmetry is considered sufficient to support a return to sports while balancing the risk of overloading the healing knee. Other thresholds exist in different protocols or at different time points, such as aiming for 90% or higher, but for this criterion, the >88% cut-off is the stated benchmark. Reaching this level indicates the leg has regained the functional capacity needed for the demands of sport.

The main idea is using a single-leg triple hop for distance to gauge readiness to return to sport by measuring how the injured leg compares to the uninjured leg. You perform the hop test on both legs and compute the limb symmetry index (LSI): distance hopped on the injured leg divided by distance hopped on the contralateral leg, then multiplied by 100. A handier way to interpret it is: how close is the injured leg’s performance to the healthy leg?

At 6 months post-injury or surgery, achieving an LSI greater than 88% means the injured leg can produce nearly the same power and control as the uninjured leg, suggesting the neuromuscular and strength deficits have been substantially resolved. This level of symmetry is considered sufficient to support a return to sports while balancing the risk of overloading the healing knee.

Other thresholds exist in different protocols or at different time points, such as aiming for 90% or higher, but for this criterion, the >88% cut-off is the stated benchmark. Reaching this level indicates the leg has regained the functional capacity needed for the demands of sport.