General, spinal or regional anaesthesia does not affect strength performance 6 months after ACL reconstruction

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Anesthesiology
• Sports Medicine

Background:

• Muscle strength recovery is crucial for athletes after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.
• The choice of anesthesia may influence post-operative muscle function recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of different anesthesia types on muscle strength recovery following ACL reconstruction.
• To determine if anesthesia choice affects the return to sports criteria.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 442 patients undergoing primary isolated ACL reconstruction with hamstring autografts.
• Patients were divided into four groups based on anesthesia: general anesthesia, general anesthesia with femoral nerve block, spinal anesthesia, and spinal anesthesia with femoral nerve block.
• Pre- and post-operative isokinetic strength tests (knee extension and flexion) were used to measure outcomes.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference was found in the change of knee extension or flexion strength between the anesthesia groups.
• The type of anesthesia did not have a significant effect on muscle strength recovery 6 months post-surgery.
• Effect sizes for the influence of anesthesia on strength changes were very small.

Conclusions:

• Anesthesia type has no significant impact on thigh muscle strength recovery after hamstring ACL reconstruction.
• Regional anesthesia is a viable option for ACL reconstruction, with no contraindications based on muscle strength recovery for return-to-sports testing.