Effect of Prehabilitation on the Outcome of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Abstract

Background: Prehabilitation is defined as preparing an individual to withstand a stressful event through enhancement of functional capacity. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that a preoperative exercise program would enhance postoperative outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Study Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: Twenty volunteers awaiting ACLR were randomly assigned to a control or exercise intervention group. The exercise group completed a 6-week gym- and home-based exercise program. Assessments include single-legged hop test; quadriceps and hamstring peak torque and magnetic resonance imaging cross-sectional area (CSA); Modified Cincinnati Knee Rating System score; and muscle biopsy of the vastus lateralis muscle completed at baseline, preoperatively, and 12 weeks postoperatively. Myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression were determined with SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction), respectively; IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1), MuRF-1 (muscle RING-finger protein-1), and MAFbx (muscle atrophy f-box) mRNA expression were determined with quantitative RT-PCR. Results: Following 6 weeks of exercise intervention, the single-legged hop test results improved significantly in the exercise-injured limb compared with baseline ( P = .001). Quadriceps peak torque in the injured limb improved with similar gains in CSA compared with baseline ( P = .001). However, this was not significantly increased compared with the control group. Quadriceps and vastus medialis CSA were also larger in the exercise group than in controls ( P = .0024 and P = .015, respectively). The modified Cincinnati score was better in the exercise-injured limb compared with baseline. At 12 weeks postoperatively, the rate of decline in the single-legged hop test was reduced in the exercise group compared with controls ( P = .001). Similar trends were not seen for quadriceps peak torque and CSA. The vastus medialis CSA had regressed to similar levels as the control group ( P = .008). The modified Cincinnati score continued to increase in the exercise group compared with controls ( P = .004). The expression of the hypertrophic IGF-1 gene was significantly increased after the exercise intervention ( P = .028), with a decrease back to baseline 12 weeks postoperatively ( P = .012). Atrophic MuRF-1 gene expression was decreased after intervention compared with baseline ( P = .05) but increased again at 12 weeks postoperatively ( P = .03). The MAFbx levels did not change significantly in either group and within each time point. On the mRNA level, there was a shift from MHC-IIx isoform to MHC-IIa after exercise, with significant changes compared with control preoperatively ( P = .028). Protein testing was able to reproduce this increase for MHC-IIa isoform expression only. Conclusion: The 6-week progressive prehabilitation program for subjects undergoing ACLR led to improved knee function based on the single-legged hop test and self-reported assessment using the modified Cincinnati score. These effects were sustained at 12 weeks postoperatively. This study supports prehabilitation as a consideration for patients awaiting ACLR; however, further studies are warranted.