You're Measuring the Wrong Stuff : What Doctors Miss That Therapists See.

Presented by Kara Jenkins PT, DPT, KB3 · KIME Performance Physical Therapy

kjenkins@kimeperformance.com

(253)-737-0153

2026 Mountain Orthopaedic Rendezvous

June 12, 12:00 PM · Canyon Lodge, Mammoth Lakes

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The Problem With Traditional

Return-To-Sport Testing

Most athletes are cleared using: range of motion · manual muscle testing · hop testing · clinical observation.

"These assessments fail to answer the most important question: Is the athlete truly prepared for the demands of sport?"

Research shows athletes frequently pass traditional testing with significant deficits still present.

The KIME Evaluation Model

True recovery isn't eliminating pain. It's restoring the ability to produce force, absorb force, move efficiently, and perform confidently.

What We Measure

Force Plate Testing

CMJ · Reactive Strength · Landing Force · Braking Power

Dynamometry

Strength asymmetry · Limb symmetry index · Quadriceps deficits

Performance Profiling

Athlete scorecard · Return-to-sport benchmarks · Progress reporting

Athletes don't compete in a clinic. They compete under load, at speed, under fatigue. The data should reflect that reality.

About the Mountain Orthopaedic Rendezvous

The Rendezvous was created to bring physicians, PTs, athletic trainers, and performance professionals together to openly debate the hardest problems in sports medicine. Unlike traditional CME conferences, it's built around collaboration and real-world case discussion — not passive lecture.

Dr. Kara's session fits directly within that mission: challenging conventional return-to-sport testing and encouraging clinicians to look beyond symptoms, protocols, and timelines.

Do Tendon Tears Heal on Their Own?

Tendon injuries are extremely common. For years, they’ve always been treated with the same strategy—usually eccentric exercise. But if you’re dealing with a tendon injury right now, you’re probably asking yourself the most important question: Will this actually heal on its own?

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injection | What It Is & How It Works

What if your body already has everything it needs to heal itself – and we just need to give it the right push to get started? That’s exactly what Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections are designed to do. This remedy, if you will, is all about stimulating your body’s own healing process using your own blood components.

Hip Mobility | The Ultimate Guide

If you’re someone who works out regularly, trains at the gym, or just wants to move better in daily life, hip mobility is probably something you’ve struggled with. Maybe you can’t get as deep in your squat as you’d like. Maybe your hips feel tight after sitting at a desk all day. Or maybe you’ve been foam rolling and stretching forever, but the tightness just keeps coming back.

Bring Performance Testing to Your Athletes

One of the challenges facing sports medicine today is that many clinicians recognize the value of objective performance testing, but don't always have access to the tools, systems, or infrastructure needed to implement it consistently. Force plate technology, performance profiling, and return-to-sport analytics can provide valuable insight — but collecting data is only the first step. The real value comes from understanding what the data means.

At KIME, we've built a system designed to bridge that gap. Through our testing ecosystem, physicians, physical therapists, and athletic trainers can leverage objective performance testing without building the entire infrastructure themselves — athlete evaluations, force plate testing services, comprehensive performance scorecards, and actionable recommendations for athletes, coaches, and providers.

For organizations interested in bringing this into their own environment, we offer collaboration and education opportunities — helping teams implement testing protocols, interpret force plate data, establish return-to-sport benchmarks, and create co-branded athlete reporting. Your clinic. Your athlete. Our testing, analytics, and reporting support.

Ultimately, performance testing isn't about collecting more data. It's about creating greater confidence in the decisions that matter most; when to progress, when to hold back, and when an athlete is truly ready to return to performance.

Ready to Test Differently?

Whether you're looking to improve return-to-sport decisions, add force plate testing, or build a referral partnership with KIME — our team can help.

Schedule a Conversation

Talk with our sports medicine team

Explore Partnership

Force Plate Access · Co-Branded Reporting

Refer an Athlete or Patient

Submit a referral to KIME Performance PT

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