Each Round during the Super Rugby Pacific season, we'll be providing an SKG Fitness Update on a player rehabilitating from injury. For the First edition, we catch up on how Bo Abra is tracking.
Former Junior Wallabies representative Abra is progressing nicely on his return from a fibular fracture and high ankle injury sustained in July last year.
The injury, which came in a Fortescue Premier Grade match for Perth-Bayswater, saw the 22-year-old undergo surgery to stabilise the ankle with a tightrope operation.
The promising young prop had further surgery in October last year to remove the tightrope (tightrope is a device that is used to stabilise the syndesmosis after an injury).
Bo’s rehab has included:
- Ankle range of motion exercises to increase dorsiflexion (to allow his ankle to get into a deep squat and scrummaging positions)
- Local foot and ankle strength and control exercises
- Progressive return to running program with Rehabilitation Physio Mike Neill, including marching and skipping drills, running on Alter-G low gravity treadmill, in the pool, as well as on sand and on soft mats
- Lower body strength program from Force Head of Strength and Power Hal Marsden, including calf strengthening, plyometrics and proprioception (balance)
- Functional reintegration into scrummaging with band resistance, barbell rollers and sled work
- Run load monitoring using Catapult GPS units to gradually scale up running loads and top speeds
Bo is currently on tour with the team and building back into full scrummaging, line outs and modified team training. He is likely to return in the early stages of Super Rugby Pacific 2022.
This update was brought to you by proud Western Force official supplier SKG Radiology.
