Episode 217: In this episode of the Inform Performance, Andy McDonald is joined by Hannah Marchant — a Sports Therapist working across elite sport and clinical environments, currently with New York City FC, and formerly at Cleveland Clinic.

With a background spanning high-performance sport and advanced clinical practice, Hannah brings a detailed perspective on integrating rehabilitation, objective testing, and data-led decision-making within multidisciplinary teams. Her work centres on optimising athlete recovery while ensuring robust, criteria-based return-to-play outcomes.

Across the conversation, Hannah breaks down the complexities of managing patellar instability and MPFL injuries — from initial assessment through to long-term rehabilitation strategy. The discussion explores how anatomical risk factors influence decision-making, the importance of structured clinical workflows, and how practitioners can adapt rehab in real time based on objective feedback.

The episode also dives into the nuances of progressing patellar rehab in elite environments, highlighting how to balance tissue healing, strength development, and movement quality — while maintaining clarity across the MDT. Hannah shares practical insights into monitoring progress, refining interventions, and ensuring athletes are not just cleared to return, but truly prepared to perform.

Topics Discussed:

• Assessment process for MPFL injuries
• Clinical workflow and case management
• Anatomical risk factors for patellar dislocation
• Rehabilitation nuances for patellar injuries
• Monitoring progress and adjusting rehab

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Where you can find Hannah:

• LinkedIn

• Instagram

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Sponsors

Gameplan is a rehab Project Management & Data Analytics Platform that improves operational & communication efficiency during rehab. Gameplan provides a centralised tool for MDT’s to work collaboratively inside a data rich environment

VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training

Hytro: The world’s leading Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) wearable, designed to accelerate recovery and maximise athletic potential using Hytro BFR for Professional Sport.

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Where to Find Us

Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Our Website

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Our Team

• Andy McDonald
• Ben Ashworth
• Nicola Graham
• Steve Barrett
• Pete McKnight