Effects of accelerated rehabilitation exercise on quadriceps femoris and postural stability after anterior versus posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a 12-week accelerated re-habilitation exercise program on isokinetic strength and dynamic bal-ance ability of thighs in 20 adult men who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) or posterior cruciate ligament recon-struction (PCLR) and to analyze intergroup differences in recovery pat-terns. In this study, we examined 10 patients who underwent ACLR and 10 who underwent PCLR. These patients participated in an accelerated rehabilitation exercise program 5 times weekly for 12 weeks. The par-ticipants’ isokinetic strength, muscular endurance, and dynamic balance ability of the femoral muscles were measured before and 12 weeks af-ter reconstruction surgery. Isokinetic knee muscle function showed no significant difference between the ACLR and PCLR groups at 60°/sec. Both the groups demonstrated significant increases in muscle strength between the flexors and extensors. However, a between-group differ-ence was noted in knee muscular endurance at 180°/sec, with ACLR patients showing significant differences between extensors and flex-ors, unlike PCLR patients. Assessment of the dynamic balance ability revealed that overall knee stability did not significantly differ between groups, and both the ACLR and PCLR groups exhibited improved dy-namic balance ability. However, significant differences were found in anteroposterior and left-right stabilities. Patients who underwent ACLR had significantly improved anteroposterior and left-right stability, wher-ever patients who underwent PCLR showed no significant difference. This accelerated rehabilitation exercise program improved the muscle strength and muscular endurance of patients who underwent ACLR and PCLR, suggesting its potential efficacy in recovering dynamic bal-ance ability, particularly after ACLR.