scholarly journals Telerehabilitation to Address the Rehabilitation Gap in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Care: Survey of Patients

10.2196/19296 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
pp. e19296
Author(s):  
Emma Dunphy ◽  
Elizabeth C Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Physical Therapy ◽  
Acl Reconstruction ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Return To Sports ◽  
Resource Saving ◽  
Quality Of Reporting ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

Background Evidence shows that after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, patients may have varied access to physical therapy. In particular, physical therapy input may end many months before patients reach full recovery. Telerehabilitation may provide an opportunity to address this rehabilitation gap and improve access to evidence-based rehabilitation alongside physical therapy at all stages of care. Objective This study aims to understand the opinions of patients who have undergone ACL surgery and rehabilitation on the use of telerehabilitation as part of ACL care and define the population and explore their experiences and views on the acceptability of telerehabilitation after ACL reconstruction. Methods This study was a cross-sectional, voluntary, web-based survey combining both closed and open questions. Ethical approval was obtained from the Yale School of Medicine Institutional Review Board. Participants were aged 16 years or older at the time of recruitment and had undergone ACL reconstruction within the past 5 years. A 26-item survey was developed using the Qualtrics survey platform. No items were mandatory. Responses were multiple choice, binary, and qualitative. The CHERRIES (Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys) was used to ensure the quality of reporting of surveys in the medical literature. Data were analyzed using Stata version 15. Qualitative data were analyzed using NVivo 11. The theoretical framework for this analysis is based on the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation-Behavior model of behavior change. Results A total of 100 participants opened the survey. All completers were unique. The participation and completion rates were each 96% (96/100). Patients reported their physical therapy care ended at an average of 6.4 months and that they felt fully recovered at an average of 13.2 months. Only 26% (25/96) of patients felt fully recovered at the end of physical therapy. Of these 96 patients, 54 (60%) were younger than 30 years, 71 (74%) were recreational athletes, 24 (24%) were competitive athletes, 72 (75%) had private insurance, 74 (77%) were not familiar at all with telerehabilitation, and 89% (85/96) felt capable. They preferred to use telerehabilitation at different stages of care. Reported benefits included resource saving, improved access to care, improved learning, and greater engagement. Concerns included incorrect performance of exercises or unmanaged pain being missed and less access to manual therapy, motivation, and opportunities to ask questions. Participants’ priorities for a future telerehabilitation intervention included its use as an adjunct to physical therapy rather than a replacement, with content available for each stage of care, especially return to sports. Participants stressed that the intervention should be personalized to them and include measures of progress. Conclusions These findings helped understand and define the ACL reconstruction population. Participants found telerehabilitation acceptable in principle and highlighted the key user requirements and scope of future interventions.

scholarly journals Telerehabilitation to Address the Rehabilitation Gap in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Care: Survey of Patients (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Dunphy ◽  
Elizabeth C Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Physical Therapy ◽  
Acl Reconstruction ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Private Insurance ◽  
Return To Sports ◽  
Resource Saving ◽  
Quality Of Reporting ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

BACKGROUND Evidence shows that after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, patients may have varied access to physical therapy. In particular, physical therapy input may end many months before patients reach full recovery. Telerehabilitation may provide an opportunity to address this <i>rehabilitation gap</i> and improve access to evidence-based rehabilitation alongside physical therapy at all stages of care. OBJECTIVE This study aims to understand the opinions of patients who have undergone ACL surgery and rehabilitation on the use of telerehabilitation as part of ACL care and define the population and explore their experiences and views on the acceptability of telerehabilitation after ACL reconstruction. METHODS This study was a cross-sectional, voluntary, web-based survey combining both closed and open questions. Ethical approval was obtained from the Yale School of Medicine Institutional Review Board. Participants were aged 16 years or older at the time of recruitment and had undergone ACL reconstruction within the past 5 years. A 26-item survey was developed using the Qualtrics survey platform. No items were mandatory. Responses were multiple choice, binary, and qualitative. The CHERRIES (Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys) was used to ensure the quality of reporting of surveys in the medical literature. Data were analyzed using Stata version 15. Qualitative data were analyzed using NVivo 11. The theoretical framework for this analysis is based on the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation-Behavior model of behavior change. RESULTS A total of 100 participants opened the survey. All completers were unique. The participation and completion rates were each 96% (96/100). Patients reported their physical therapy care ended at an average of 6.4 months and that they felt fully recovered at an average of 13.2 months. Only 26% (25/96) of patients felt fully recovered at the end of physical therapy. Of these 96 patients, 54 (60%) were younger than 30 years, 71 (74%) were recreational athletes, 24 (24%) were competitive athletes, 72 (75%) had private insurance, 74 (77%) were not familiar at all with telerehabilitation, and 89% (85/96) felt capable. They preferred to use telerehabilitation at different stages of care. Reported benefits included resource saving, improved access to care, improved learning, and greater engagement. Concerns included incorrect performance of exercises or unmanaged pain being missed and less access to manual therapy, motivation, and opportunities to ask questions. Participants’ priorities for a future telerehabilitation intervention included its use as an adjunct to physical therapy rather than a replacement, with content available for each stage of care, especially return to sports. Participants stressed that the intervention should be personalized to them and include measures of progress. CONCLUSIONS These findings helped understand and define the ACL reconstruction population. Participants found telerehabilitation acceptable in principle and highlighted the key user requirements and scope of future interventions.

scholarly journals HOP TEST AS A TOOL FOR THE ASSESSMENT AND PREVENTION OF INJURIES IN FOOTBALLERS DURING PRESEASON

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (6_suppl3) ◽  
pp. 2325967118S0004
Author(s):  
F García-Bol ◽  
V Posada-Franco ◽  
A Roldán-Valero ◽  
R Del Caño-Espinel
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Acl Reconstruction ◽  
Reference Values ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Return To Sport ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Return To Sports ◽  
Hop Tests ◽  
Hop Test ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

Hop Tests (unipodal horizontal jumps) have been recommended as one of the reliable assessment tests when allowing a return to competition for a sportsperson after an anterior cruciate ligament injury1,2,3,4. Currently, comparison is made of the results with the contralateral limb through the symmetry index, a method which might not provide sufficient security upon the return to competitive sport5. Hop tests can be used in preseason to gain reference values prior to a possible injury. The objective of this review is to analise the scientific literature such as the F-Marc6 (reference manual of FIFA) to confirm whether include said tests in preseason for football teams. A search was conducted in the Pubmed y Cochrane databases (17/04/17) with the search terms “Hop Test”, “Football”, “Soccer”, and “Preseason”. Articles in English and Spanish were both accepted. Articles excluded were those that did not make reference to the knee, to football, and those that did not conduct tests during preseason. From a total of 33 articles, 4 with these search criteria were included, 5 articles were added trough the bibliography of other studies, and the F-Marc manual was analised. 4 of the articles used the hop tests in preseason for some type of study, of which 3 were used as part of a prospective assessment for the season. On the other hand, the F-Marc does not consider Hop Tests as an assessment test. Hop tests were not found to be used in preseason as reference values prior to possible future injuries, data which could be beneficial for a safe return to sport. Harris J, Abrams G, Bach B, Williams D, Heidloff D, Bush-Joseph C, Verma N, Forsythe B, Cole B. Return to Sport After ACL Reconstruction. ORTHOPEDICS. 2014; 37: e103-e108. Barber-Westin SD, Noyes FR. Factors used to determine return to unrestricted sports activities after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Arthroscopy. 2011 Dec;27(12):1697-705. Thomeé R, Kaplan Y, Kvist J, Myklebust G, Risberg MA, Theisen D, Tsepis E, Werner S, Wondrasch B, Witvrouw E. Muscle strength and hop performance criteria prior to return to sports after ACL reconstruction. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2011 Nov;19(11):1798-805. Bolgla LA, Keskula DR. Reliability of lower extremity functional performance tests. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1997 Sep;26(3):138-42. Wellsandt E, Failla MJ, Snyder-Mackler L. Limb Symmetry Indexes Can Overestimate Knee Function After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017 Mar 29:1-18. F-MARC. Football Medicine Manual. 2nd Edition. Available from: http://f-marc.com . 2017.

Morphological Evaluation of the Quadriceps Tendon Using Preoperative Ultrasound in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

2021 ◽  
pp. 036354652110540
Author(s):  
Satoshi Takeuchi ◽  
Kevin J. Byrne ◽  
Ryo Kanto ◽  
Kentaro Onishi ◽  
Freddie H. Fu
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Acl Reconstruction ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Quadriceps Tendon ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Preoperative Ultrasound ◽  
Anterior Cruciate ◽  
Superior Pole

Background: An evaluation of quadriceps tendon (QT) morphology preoperatively is an important step when selecting an individually appropriate autograft for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. However, to our knowledge, there are no studies that have assessed the morphology of the entire QT in an ACL-injured knee preoperatively using ultrasound. Purpose: We aimed to investigate the morphological characteristics of the QT using preoperative ultrasound in ACL-injured knees. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 33 patients (mean age, 26.0 ± 11.5 years) with a diagnosed ACL tear undergoing primary ACL reconstruction were prospectively included. Using ultrasound, short-axis images of the QT were acquired in 10-mm increments from 30 to 100 mm proximal to the superior pole of the patella. The length of the QT was determined by 2 contiguous images that did and did not contain the rectus femoris muscle belly. The width of the superficial and narrowest parts of the QT, the thickness of the central and thickest parts of the QT, and the cross-sectional area at the central 10 mm of the superficial QT width were measured at each assessment location. The estimated intraoperative diameter of the QT autograft was calculated using a formula provided in a previous study. Results: There were no significant relationships between QT morphology and any of the demographic data collected. The length of the QT was less than 70 mm in 45.5% of patients (15/33). The width, thickness, cross-sectional area, and estimated intraoperative diameter of the QT autograft were significantly greater at 30 mm than at 70 mm proximal to the superior pole of the patella. Conclusion: Preoperative ultrasound may identify a QT that is too small for an all–soft tissue autograft in ACL reconstruction. Furthermore, harvesting a QT with a fixed width may result in autografts that are smaller proximally than they are distally. Assessing the morphology of the QT preoperatively using ultrasound may help surgeons to adequately reconstruct the native length and diameter of the ACL with a QT autograft.

scholarly journals Factors Associated With Psychological Readiness to Return to Sports With Cutting, Pivoting, and Jump-Landings After Primary ACL Reconstruction

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 232596712096448
Author(s):  
Junya Aizawa ◽  
Kenji Hirohata ◽  
Shunsuke Ohji ◽  
Takehiro Ohmi ◽  
Hideyuki Koga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Acl Reconstruction ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Return To Play ◽  
Return To Sports ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Anterior Cruciate ◽  
Primary Acl Reconstruction ◽  
Jump Landings

Background: High psychological readiness is an important element for returning to sports after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Identifying factors that contribute to psychological readiness is essential for planning interventions to return to play. No studies have used multivariate analysis to clarify factors associated with psychological readiness to return to specific sports. Hypothesis: To identify factors that contribute to an athlete’s psychological readiness to return after ACL reconstruction to sports that require cutting, pivoting, and jump-landings. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Study participants were athletes who before injury had participated in sports with limited contact that required cutting, pivoting, and jump-landings (basketball, soccer, futsal, volleyball, badminton, tennis, and frisbee) and hoped to return to the same sport after reconstruction. Psychological readiness was measured using the Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Return to Sport After Injury Scale (ACL-RSI) in athletes more than 6 months after primary ACL reconstruction. To clarify factors associated with the ACL-RSI, univariate regression analysis and multivariate regression analysis were performed using the following independent variables: age, sex, body mass index, time from injury to reconstruction, time from reconstruction to testing, meniscal surgery, modified Tegner activity scale before injury, kinesiophobia, limb symmetry index of knee strength, limb symmetry indices of single-leg hop (SLH) distances, and subjective running ability. Results: Higher subjective running ability, a lower kinesiophobia score, and greater limb symmetry in the lateral SLH were positively associated with psychological readiness. Conclusion: The psychological readiness of athletes aiming to return after ACL reconstruction to limited-contact sports that require cutting, pivoting, and jump-landings was affected by subjective running ability, kinesiophobia, and asymmetry of lateral SLH distance. This information may be useful in planning appropriate interventions and thereby increasing the likelihood of an athlete’s returning to such sports.

The Role of Patient Characteristics in the Success of Nonoperative Treatment of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 1657-1664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelle P. van der List ◽  
Frans J.A. Hagemans ◽  
Dirk Jan Hofstee ◽  
Freerk J. Jonkers
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Physical Therapy ◽  
Acl Reconstruction ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Patient Characteristics ◽  
Nonoperative Treatment ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Acl Injuries ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears can either be treated nonoperatively with physical therapy and then treated operatively if persistent instability is present, or be directly treated operatively. Advantages of early ACL reconstruction surgery include shorter time from injury to surgery and potentially fewer meniscal injuries, but performing early ACL reconstruction in all patients results in surgery in patients who might not need ACL reconstruction. It is important to assess in which patients nonoperative treatment is successful and which patients will require ACL reconstruction and thus might be better treated surgically in an earlier phase. Purpose: To identify patient characteristics that predict the success of nonoperative treatment. Study Design: Cohort study (Prognosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods: All patients with complete ACL injuries who were evaluated between 2014 and 2017 at our clinic were included. The minimum follow-up was 2 years. The initial treatment and ultimate ACL reconstruction were reviewed. Univariate analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U tests and chi-square tests and multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression. Results: A total of 448 patients were included with a median age of 26 years and median Tegner level of 7 and mean Tegner level of 6.4. At initial consultation, 210 patients (47%) were treated nonoperatively with physical therapy and 126 of these patients (60%) ultimately required ACL reconstruction. Nonoperative treatment failed in 88.9% of patients <25 years of age, 56.0% of patients 25 to 40 years, and 32.9% of patients >40 years ( P < .001); and 41.9% of patients with Tegner level 3 to 6, and 82.8% of patients with Tegner level 7 to 10. Age <25 years (odds ratio [OR], 7.4; P < .001) and higher Tegner levels (OR, 4.2; P < .001) were predictive of failing nonoperative treatment in multivariate analysis. Patients in the failed nonoperative group had longer time from diagnosis to surgery than the direct reconstruction group (6.2 vs 2.2 months; P < .001), and more frequently had new meniscal injuries (17.4% vs 3.1%; P < .001) at surgery. Conclusion: Nonoperative treatment of ACL injuries failed in 60% of patients and was highly correlated with age and activity level. In patients aged 25 years or younger or participating in higher-impact sports, early ACL reconstruction should be considered to prevent longer delay between injury and surgery, as well as new meniscal injuries.

scholarly journals Functional result of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction by remnant preservation in a tertiary center in Eastern India

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 820
Author(s):  
Ritwik Ganguli ◽  
Swagatam Jash
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Acl Reconstruction ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Pivot Shift Test ◽  
Return To Sports ◽  
Lachman Test ◽  
Remnant Preservation ◽  
Graft Rupture ◽  
Tertiary Center ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is one of the most common procedures in orthopaedics. Orthopaedic surgery is vastly evolving to give better functional outcome. Apart from stability, proprioception, ligament healing are important factors for return to sports. The presence of remnant containing mechanoreceptors and free neural endings can help reinnervate the ACL auto graft. Aims and objectives were to evaluate clinical outcomes in patients undergoing ACL reconstruction with remnant preservation.</p><p><strong>Methods</strong>: One hundred and six patients who underwent ACL reconstruction between April 2014 and March 2020. Among these 80 patients underwent remnant preservation. Analysis is done based on international knee documentation committee score (IKDC), modified Cincinnati knee rating system (MCKRS) and Tegner-Lysholm scoring system. Other factors are Lachman test, pivot shift test, return to sports and graft rupture rate.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Lachman test became negative in 98% at 12 weeks and in all the patients at 24 months post-operatively. 74 patients (92.5%) among 80 patients develop full range of knee movement after ACL surgery. Post-operative scores are 95, 93, and 92 respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Remnant preserving ACL reconstruction having excellent clinical outcome with good knee stability, early return to sports activities and no incidence of graft rupture in our series.</p>

scholarly journals The Top 100 Most Cited Articles on Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Bibliometric Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 232596712097637
Author(s):  
Ning Tang ◽  
Wenchao Zhang ◽  
Daniel M. George ◽  
Yang Su ◽  
Tianlong Huang
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Acl Reconstruction ◽  
Sports Medicine ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Knee Injuries ◽  
The United States ◽  
Anatomic Reconstruction ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

Background: The concept of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) has become widely accepted, gaining increased attention in recent years and resulting in many research achievements in this field. Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine which original articles on ACLR have been most influential in this field by identifying and analyzing the characteristics of the 100 most cited articles. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Articles on ACLR were identified via the Thomson ISI Web of Science database on November 30, 2019. The 100 most cited articles were identified based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data extracted from each article for the subsequent analysis included title, date of publication, total citations, average citations per year (ACY), journal name, first author, institutions, themes, level of evidence, and keywords. Results: The total number of citations was 29,629. The date of publication ranged from 1975 to 2015. A majority of the articles originated from the United States (58%) and were published in the 1990s (32%) and 2000s (48%). The mean ACY was 18.43 ± 9.51. Of the selected articles, nearly one-half were published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine (42%). The most prolific co-author and first author were Freddie H. Fu (n = 13) and K. Donald Shelbourne (n = 5), respectively. The most productive institution was the University of Pittsburgh (14%). Material comparison (19%) and technique comparison (16%) were the 2 most popular themes. More than one-quarter of articles were level 4 evidence (37%). Moreover, the keywords ACL, ACL reconstruction, ACL rupture, knee joint, knee injuries, and human showed the highest degree of centrality. Conclusion: By analyzing the characteristics of articles, this study demonstrated that ACLR is a growing and popular area of research, with the focus of research varying through timeline trends. Studies on anatomic reconstruction and biomechanics might be areas of future trends.

scholarly journals Validation of a Composite Test for Assessment of Readiness for Return to Sports After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: The K-STARTS Test

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 515-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
William G. Blakeney ◽  
Hervé Ouanezar ◽  
Isabelle Rogowski ◽  
Gregory Vigne ◽  
Meven Le Guen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Acl Reconstruction ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Diagnostic Study ◽  
Return To Sports ◽  
Sensitivity To Change ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

Background: There is limited information on the appropriate timing of return to sports after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. A composite test was developed to assess the athlete’s ability to return to sports after ACL reconstruction: the Knee Santy Athletic Return To Sport (K-STARTS) test. Hypothesis: The K-STARTS test meets validation criteria for an outcome score assessing readiness for return to sports after ACL reconstruction. Study Design: Diagnostic study. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Methods: A prospective comparative study identified 410 participants: 371 participants who had undergone ACL reconstruction and a control group of 39 healthy participants. The K-STARTS score is calculated as the sum of 7 tests (8 components), for a maximal value of 21 points. Construct validity, internal consistency, discriminant validity, and sensitivity to change were used to validate this new test. Results: The K-STARTS assessment showed a high completion rate (100%), high reproducibility (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.87; coefficient of variation, 7.8%), and high sensitivity to change. There was moderate correlation with the ACL Return to Sports after Injury scale (ACL-RSI) and hop tests. There were no ceiling or floor effects. There was a significant difference between K-STARTS scores assessed at 6 and 8 months postoperatively (11.2 ± 2.7 vs 17.1 ± 3.2; P < 0.001). The K-STARTS score in the control group was significantly higher than that in the ACL reconstruction group (17.3 ± 2.1 and 13.7 ± 3.8, respectively; P < 0.001). Conclusion: The K-STARTS test is an objective outcome measure for functional improvement after ACL reconstruction. Clinical Relevance: It is important for the clinician to determine when return to sports is optimal after ACL reconstruction to reduce the current high risk of reinjury.

Hop Performance After Return to Sport in Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Reconstructed Gaelic Football and Hurling Athletes

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Damien Murphy ◽  
Quinette A. Louw ◽  
Colum Moloney ◽  
Dominique Leibbrandt ◽  
Amanda M. Clifford
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Acl Reconstruction ◽  
Functional Performance ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Return To Sport ◽  
Severe Injuries ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hop Tests ◽  
Hop Test ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

Purpose: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are among the most severe injuries in the Gaelic Athletic Association. Hop tests measure functional performance after ACL reconstruction as they replicate the key requirements for a match situation. However, research examining functional recovery of ACL-reconstructed Gaelic athletes is lacking. The objective of this study is to determine if athletes restore normal hop symmetry after ACL reconstruction and to examine if bilateral deficiencies persist in hop performance following return to sport. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate hop performance of 30 ACL-reconstructed Gaelic athletes who had returned to competition and 30 uninjured controls in a battery of hop tests including a single, 6-m, triple, and triple-crossover hop test. Results: In each test, the mean symmetry score of the ACL reconstruction group was above the cutoff for normal performance of 90% adopted by this study (98%, 99%, 97%, and 99% for the single, 6-m, triple, and triple-crossover hop, respectively). No significant differences in absolute hop scores emerged between involved and control limbs, with the exception of the single-hop test where healthy dominant limbs hopped significantly further than ACL-reconstructed dominant limbs (P = .02). No significant deficits were identified on the noninvolved side. Conclusions: The majority of ACL-reconstructed Gaelic athletes demonstrate normal levels of hop symmetry after returning to competition. Suboptimal hop performance can persist on the involved side compared with control limbs. Targeted rehabilitation may be warranted after returning to competition to restore performance to levels of healthy uninjured athletes.

scholarly journals The effect of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction on hamstring and quadriceps muscle function outcome ratios in male athletes

2016 ◽  
Vol 144 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 151-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marko Kadija ◽  
Olivera Knezevic ◽  
Darko Milovanovic ◽  
Aleksandar Nedeljkovic ◽  
Dragan Mirkov
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Acl Reconstruction ◽  
Muscle Function ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Return To Sports ◽  
Maximal Strength ◽  
Male Athletes ◽  
Explosive Strength ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

Introduction. Maximal strength ratios such as the limb symmetry index (LSI) and hamstring-to-quadriceps ratio (HQ) may be considered the main outcome measures in the monitoring of recovery after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Although explosive strength is much more important than maximal strength, it is generally disregarded in the follow-up of muscle function recovery. Objective. The purpose of this study was to compare ratios between maximal (Fmax) and explosive strength (rate of force development - RFD) in individuals with ACL reconstruction. Methods. Fifteen male athletes were enrolled and had maximum voluntary isometric quadriceps and hamstring contractions tested (4.0 ? 0.1 months post reconstruction). In addition to Fmax, RFD was estimated (RFDmax, as well as RFD at 50, 100, and 200 ms from onset of contraction) and LSI and HQ ratios were calculated. Results. The involved leg demonstrated significant hamstring and quadriceps deficits compared to uninvolved leg (p < 0.01). Deficits were particularly significant in the involved quadriceps, causing higher HQ ratios (average 0.63), compared to the uninvolved leg (0.44). LSI was significantly lower for RFD variables (average 55%) than for Fmax (66%). Conclusion. The assessment of RFD may be considered an objective recovery parameter for one?s readiness to return to sports and should be an integral part of standard follow-up protocol for athletes after ACL reconstruction. Moreover, the combination of indices derived from maximal and explosive strength may provide better insight in muscle strength balance, as well as a clear picture of functional implications.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document