Rehabilitation efficacy of Low-Load blood flow restriction training for lateral patellar compression syndrome

Arthroscopic lateral retinacular release (LRR) is an effective treatment for lateral patellar compression syndrome (LPCS), but postoperative rehabilitation remains crucial. Low-load blood flow restriction training (LL-BFRT) has been shown to be beneficial in sports medicine; however, its effect on postoperative recovery in LPCS is unclear.

In this randomized controlled trial, 60 patients after LRR were assigned to receive either routine rehabilitation with LL-BFRT or routine rehabilitation alone for 4 weeks. Outcomes included Lysholm score, knee extension peak torque, quadriceps thickness, thigh circumference, VAS, and ROM. Within- and between-group comparisons were conducted using paired and unpaired t-tests or their non-parametric equivalents, according to data distribution and homogeneity of variance (SPSS; P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant).

A total of 51 patients (Control: n = 26, age 45.3 ± 11.6 years, BMI 24.0 ± 3.1; LL-BFRT: n = 25, age 42.4 ± 10.2 years, BMI 25.2 ± 3.4) completed the trial. While both groups showed post-intervention improvements, the LL-BFRT group demonstrated greater gains than the control group in knee extensor strength at 60°/s (mean increase 20.85 vs. 8.24 N·m), vastus medialis thickness (0.33 vs. 0.12 cm), and thigh circumference (2.34 vs. 1.15 cm). Although the between-group differences in VAS and Lysholm scores were not statistically significant, the mean changes in the LL-BFRT group exceeded the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) thresholds for both outcomes (VAS: 2 cm; Lysholm: 11.1 points), indicating clinically meaningful within-group improvement.

LL-BFRT augments routine rehabilitation by specifically improving knee extensor strength, vastus medialis hypertrophy, and thigh circumference in patients with LPCS after LRR, and may represent an effective strategy to enhance postoperative recovery.