ACL Repair: Eccentric Ex. Superior!

ACL Repair: Eccentric Ex. Superior!

This study randomly assigned 40 patients who had undergone ACL reconstruction to 3 months of rehab with focus on:

Group 1: Eccentric resistance-training program Group 2: Standard rehab

MRIs of the thighs after 1 year were compared with images acquired 3 weeks after the ACL surgery.

Basic Results: Compared with the standard rehab group, after 1-year, improvements in quadriceps and gluteal muscle volume and strength were significantly greater in the eccentric exercise group.

What PTs need to promote: A study showed that eccentric exercises as prescribed and progressed by physiotherapists resulted in 20% increase in size and significant increase in strength of the gluteal and quad muscles.

Posted on: January 26, 2010

Categories: Knee