Functional recovery of athletes through rehabilitation training after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

This article aims to introduce neuromuscular electrical stimulation into rehabilitation training after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and to assess its impact on the functional recovery of the knee joint.

Twenty athletes undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction were allocated into a neuromuscular electrical stimulation group (neuromuscular electrical stimulation + rehabilitation training) and a conventional group (conventional rehabilitation training) for a 10-week training program. Indicators such as Lysholm scores and thigh circumference were assessed before and after training for comparison.

After training, the neuromuscular electrical stimulation group demonstrated a Lysholm score of 86.56 ± 11.67 points, a thigh circumference on the affected side of 47.15 ± 2.56 cm, and an active knee flexion angle of 105.12 ± 9.87°. Moreover, the score of the Y-balance test under left- and right-foot support was 93.67 ± 0.43 and 91.72 ± 0.48 points, respectively. It achieved a 10-meter walk speed of 1.01 ± 0.15 m/s. It achieved a performance of 264.39 ± 29.36 cm in three consecutive single-leg jumps on the healthy side and a performance of 178.16 ± 21.26 cm on the affected side. Its anterior cruciate ligament return-to-sport after injury scale score was 84.21 ± 5.32 points. These outcomes were significantly superior to those of the conventional group.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation combined with rehabilitation training yields positive effects on functional recovery after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, surpassing the outcomes of conventional rehabilitation training. This approach holds promise for practical application.