Significant Deficits Are Seen in Extensor Muscle Performance but Not Flexor Muscle Performance 6 Months After...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a common procedure to restore knee stability.
• The rectus femoris tendon autograft is an alternative graft choice for ACL reconstruction.
• Assessing bilateral isokinetic performance symmetry is crucial for return to sport evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the bilateral isokinetic performance symmetry of knee extensors and flexors six months after ACL reconstruction using a rectus femoris tendon autograft.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case series included 31 male patients who underwent primary ACL reconstruction with a rectus femoris autograft.
• Isokinetic testing of knee extensors and flexors was performed at 60°/s at a 6-month follow-up.
• Peak torque, normalized peak torque, angle at peak torque, total work, and mean power were compared between the operative and nonoperative limbs using paired t-tests.

Main Results:

• At 6 months post-surgery, the operated limb showed significant deficits in knee extensor peak torque (71% of contralateral) and mean power (75% of contralateral).
• Knee flexor performance demonstrated near-complete recovery, with the operated limb achieving 93% of contralateral peak torque and 90% of total work.
• Significant deficits (P<.001) were observed in operated limb extension for peak torque, normalized peak torque, and total work.

Conclusions:

• ACL reconstruction with a rectus femoris autograft leads to complete recovery of knee flexor strength by 6 months.
• Persistent deficits in knee extensor strength remain at 6 months after ACL reconstruction with this graft type.
• Further research may explore long-term outcomes and rehabilitation strategies to address extensor deficits.