Each week during the Super Rugby Pacific season, we'll be providing an SKG Fitness Update. This week, we learn more about Kane Koteka's return from injury.
Kane sustained a Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) sprain in the Round 2 win against the Melbourne Rebels. The PCL runs through the middle of the knee joint, attaching at the back of the tibia (shin bone) and front of the femur (thigh bone).
The PCL comes under stress when the knee is hyperextended, or as in Kane’s case, when an athlete lands on a bent knee. This force causes the tibia to move backward relative to the femur and places the PCL under tension.
Kane had an MRI at SKG after arriving back in Perth following the squads four-week road trip on the east coast. The MRI showed some swelling in the PCL and he was diagnosed with a Grade 2 injury.
This injury causes weakness in the hamstring and quadricep via ‘arthrogenic inhibition’ which can further destabilise the knee. Therefore, Kane's rehab included significant amounts of hamstring and quadricep strengthening, as well as balance and stability training.
He had a full week off running to allow the knee joint to settle and returned to training after two weeks of rehab and returned to play the Brumbies in Round 6 at three weeks post-injury. Kane will continue to tape his knee to limit strain on his PCL.
