Post-operative bracing after ACL reconstruction has no effect on knee joint effusion. A prospective, randomized study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Sports medicine
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Knee joint effusion post-anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstruction is not fully understood.
• Maintaining knee homeostasis is vital for rehabilitation and patient well-being.
• Investigating factors influencing effusion and patient profiles is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if post-operative bracing affects knee joint effusion after ACL reconstruction.
• To identify patient profiles associated with knee joint effusion.
• To explore the relationship between effusion and clinical outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial involving 60 patients undergoing ACL reconstruction.
• Patients were assigned to wear or not wear a post-operative brace for three weeks.
• Knee joint effusion assessed via computed tomography at pre-surgery, 3 months, and 12 months post-surgery.

Main Results:

• Post-operative bracing showed no significant effect on knee joint effusion at three months.
• Excessive effusion was observed in 68% of patients at three months.
• Effusion correlated with prior meniscus injury, higher pre-injury Tegner activity, and longer time from injury to surgery.

Conclusions:

• Prior meniscus injury and pre-injury Tegner activity levels are significant predictors of knee joint effusion.
• Post-operative bracing did not influence effusion.
• Three-month effusion predicted poorer final outcomes in women, necessitating further research in larger cohorts.