This episode with Craig Purdam is a snippet taken from our Practicals live Q&A sessions. Held monthly, these sessions give Practicals members the chance to ask their pressing questions and get direct answers from our expert presenters. In this episode Craig discusses:

• Medial tibial stress syndrome
• Rocker bottom shoes
• Surfaces and distances and their roles in relation to calf injuries
• Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome

👉🏻 Learn more about Physio Network’s Practicals here - physio.network/practicals-purdam

Craig Purdam was the Head of Physical Therapies at the Australian Institute of Sport for 35 years and the Deputy Director of Athlete Services for 3 years. He has worked as a clinician for elite sport for over 40 years and has been a physiotherapist to five Olympic Games (1984-2000) and a longstanding physiotherapist to the Australian National Men’s Basketball team over that period. He has worked with the Australia national track and field, rowing and swimming teams along with AFL football.

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In this episode, we discuss some of the potential challenges and perks of working in elite sport. We explore:

• Most common injuries seen in combat sports
• Key differences in elite sport vs private practice
• Importance of interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary management
• Use of objective measures in elite sport
• Injury risk prior to competition
• Supplementation in elite sport

Dr Ian Gatt is Head of Performance Services & Lead Physiotherapist for GB Boxing. He has over 20 years of clinical experience, having supported athletes on their path to success through several Olympic games. He forms part of Team Anthony Joshua (Boxing Olympic and Professional Double World Champion), delivering injury reduction and management strategies within a multidisciplinary team. Ian is an Upper Limb Injury specialist with the prestigious English Institute of Sport (EIS), and has recently completed a PhD in Wrist Biomechanics at Sheffield Hallam University.

Dr. Heather Linden serves as the Senior Director of Physical Therapy at the UFC Performance Institute (UFCPI). She oversees the sports medicine departments at both UFCPI locations in Las Vegas, NV, and Shanghai, China. In 2022, Heather received the prestigious “Trainer of the Year” honor at the World MMA Awards. Prior to her role with the UFC, she was part of the Sports Medicine Division at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and also led an outpatient orthopedic clinic in Los Angeles.

If you like the podcast, it would mean the world if you're happy to leave us a rating or a review. It really helps!

Our host is @James_Armstrong_Physio from Physio Network

In this episode with Dr Enda King, we discuss a recent paper looking at time to return to sport post ACL reconstruction. We discuss:

• Is there an optimal time to return to sport?
• How important is time as an indicator post ACL reconstruction?
• Role of different graft types in timing of return to sport
• Other implicating factors which may contribute to re-injury
• Testing for return to sport

Enda King PhD MSc is a sports physiotherapist, strength and conditioning coach, researcher, and educator who works with elite athletes and teams across various sports. As Head of Performance at the Sports Surgery Clinic in Dublin, he developed and led advanced clinical and research pathways for ACL and Athletic Groin Pain rehabilitation, serving athletes from top global leagues including the Premier League, NFL, NBA, and UFC. He has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters focused on groin pain, ACL recovery, and biomechanics in performance and rehab. King is also a respected international educator and consultant, especially in lower limb injury rehabilitation.

Reference to article - Kotsifaki R, King E, Bahr R, Whiteley R (2025) Is 9 months the sweet spot for male athletes to return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction? British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 26 February 2025.

If you like the podcast, it would mean the world if you're happy to leave us a rating or a review. It really helps!

Our host is @James_Armstrong_Physio from Physio Network