Do final rehabilitation volumes influence function after anterior cross ligament reconstruction? A pilot study

Abstract

Introduction: Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the frequent traumatic injuries of the knee joint complex, and the isokinetic dynamometer is essential to assess and measure its joint function. Objective: To analyze the volume of physical therapy treatment using the same protocol with different duration in patients undergoing ACL reconstruction. Methods: This is a prospective observational cohort study. The sample consisted of 13 adult male individuals who underwent ACL reconstruction surgery. Participants were divided into two groups: accelerated treatment (AC) and non-accelerated treatment (NAC). Participants underwent a standardized protocol of post-reconstruction physiotherapy, starting in the immediate postoperative period. The AC group performed the treatment three times a week, with a duration of 4 hours each session for 6 months, while the NAC performed twice a week with duration of two hours each session for eight months. Results: The groups showed the same behavior during the post-reconstruction treatment periods, showing that regardless of time, the results were beneficial at the end of the treatment. However, in the accelerated protocol, the injured limb showed a significant difference for extender peak torque (PTEXT) in the preoperative and 4-month postoperative period (230.5 vs 182.6), 4-month postoperative period and final (182.6 vs 242.1) in the AC group, while in the NAC group there was no significant difference between times in this same limb. Conclusion: Greater volumes of weekly training characterized better results, showing that rehabilitation time is not a predictor of discharge, but rehabilitation time obtains good results for the variables.