{"id":14667,"date":"2026-02-23T15:05:49","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T20:05:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/physioextra.ca\/conseils-sante\/apta-2026-physiotherapie\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T15:05:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T20:05:49","slug":"apta-2026-physiotherapy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/physioextra.ca\/en\/health-tips\/apta-2026-physiotherapy\/","title":{"rendered":"APTA 2026: Advances in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation"},"content":{"rendered":"

A profession in constant evolution<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Each year, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)<\/a> conference brings together experts in physiotherapy and rehabilitation from around the world. On site, I saw just how quickly our profession is evolving across multiple areas: sports performance, joint replacement, concussion management, and artificial intelligence in health care.<\/p>\n

Beyond trends, one essential question guided my reflections: what do these advances truly change for our patients? Here are four key highlights.<\/p>\n

\"Denis

Denis Pelletier, Fellow physiotherapist, M.Sc., at APTA 2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Elbow injuries in throwing athletes<\/h2>\n

Tommy John surgery<\/h3>\n

In 2023, there were more Tommy John surgeries<\/a> among professional pitchers than during the entire decade of the 1990s.<\/p>\n

This procedure repairs a torn ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow, the structure responsible for stabilizing the joint during throwing motions. While especially common in baseball pitchers, this injury can also affect tennis players, football quarterbacks, or anyone performing repetitive overhead movements.<\/p>\n

Tommy John was a professional baseball pitcher who, in 1975, became the first well-known athlete to undergo reconstructive surgery of this ligament. Since then, the procedure has commonly been referred to as Tommy John surgery.<\/p>\n

Article you may find helpful: How to prevent the most common baseball injuries<\/a><\/p>\n

A shift in mechanics<\/h3>\n

In high-level sport, pitch velocity and spin continue to increase. Data presented at the conference show a clear correlation: the faster the ball is thrown and the greater the spin, the higher the risk of elbow injury.<\/p>\n

An interesting biomechanical factor also emerged. Pitchers whose arm follows a more vertical path appear to be at lower risk than those throwing with a more horizontal trajectory.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why does this matter? Because these findings allow for earlier intervention:<\/p>\n