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Della Villa returned to Italy determined to put his freshly gained knowledge to use and to set up his own business. At the core of his vision was the intention to focus on developing technologies. He founded Isokinetic Medical Group in 1997 and began working with profession- al athletes, including one of Italy’s most iconic footballers, Roberto Baggio. When Baggio ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in 2002, Della Villa and his team supported his intensive rehabilitation back to international football in just 77 days – the fastest recorded return to professional football following this type of injury. Recognition for Isokinetic’s methods came in 2009 when the company – which by this time had opened centres in Rome, Verona, Bologna, Milan, Cortina and Turin – was awarded FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence status. As well as developing technologies,


Isokinetic has also invested in research. For the past 24 years the company has hosted the annual Football Medicine Strategies conference, attracting more than 2,000 delegates from 75 countries


Staff at the centre include leading doctors in sports medicine, experts in biomechanics and a team of physiotherapists and coaches


each year. Discussing the latest issues and new research, the conference is attended by international leaders in the sports industry, such as FIFA’s chief medical officer, professor Jiri Dvorak. In addition to this, Isokinetic boasts a dedicated Education and Research Department, pioneering new techniques for the industry.


THE JOURNEYTO LONDON After establishing seven centres in Italy, the Isokinetic Medical Group looked to expand its reach by launching an international hub. As host to the 2012 Olympic Games and a centre for international sports events, London has become a destination for global sporting activity and was seen as the obvious choice for the first international Isokinetic


centre. To test the waters, the company initially developed a ‘pop-up’ centre on Welbeck Way, London. The site also served as a temporary clinic while the flagship Harley Street centre was built. The newly opened Isokinetic London, designed by Sonnemann Toon Architects, boasts 11,000sq ft over four storeys, hidden behind a historical Georgian façade in a building owned by Howard de Walden Estate – whose historic connections to Marylebone date back to around 1710. The development did not come without its issues, however. Both landlord and estate owner faced a construction conundrum, as the properties which were earmarked for conversion were back to back instead of side by side. Initially plans for the buildings were turned down, requiring a radical rethink of the original design. However, patience, creativity and persistence allowed Isokinetic to officially open its doors for business in September 2014. “It was critical that the complex design


incorporated our five stages of recovery,” says Mike Davison. “Patients need to see


THE SHARING OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICES AND PATHOLOGIES IS WHAT SETS US APART FROM OTHER CLINICS


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