Dr. Lauren Butler’s 2025 research has focused on advancing pediatric and adolescent sports medicine Specifically, her work emphasizes improving return-to-sport decision-making following ACL reconstruction by identifying biomechanical predictors of high joint loads and addressing both psychological readiness and gender disparities in rehabilitation. One study revealed significant gender differences in how physical therapists prescribe and progress exercises post-ACL reconstruction—findings that inform efforts to reduce gender bias and improve rehab outcomes. Another publication examined foot progression angle during cutting tasks, identifying movement patterns linked to reinjury risk in youth athletes. Dr. Butler also explored sex differences in psychological readiness, highlighting consistently lower scores in females. Expanding her focus beyond ACL, Dr. Butler evaluated the impact of an educational intervention on parent perceptions of early sports specialization, aiming to promote a healthier, more informed youth sports culture. Finally, she authored a clinician’s guide to softball pitching biomechanics to help providers assess movement faults and reduce injury risk in youth pitchers. These publications reflect Dr. Butler’s continued commitment to injury prevention, optimal rehabilitation, and safe youth sport participation. Links to the articles can be found below.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1466853X25000276?via%3Dihub
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11969493/
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/ijahsp/vol23/iss1/22/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268003325001020
Roman D, Ulman S, Butler L, Walker C, Douthit T, Kueneze C, ARROW, Baez S. Age and Sex Differences in ACL-RSI Subscale Scores of Emotion, Risk Appraisal, and Confidence after ACL Reconstruction. Accepted for publication on OJSM.