Effects of an accelerated rehabilitation program after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with combined semitendinosus-gracilis autograft and a ligament augmentation device

• Published in: The American journal of sports medicine Vol. 23; no. 5; p. 588
• Main Authors: MacDonald, P B, Hedden, D, Pacin, O, Huebert, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-09-1995
• Subjects: Adult; Anterior Cruciate Ligament - surgery; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; Athletic Injuries - rehabilitation; Athletic Injuries - surgery; Braces; Crutches; Exercise Therapy; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Isometric Contraction; Male; Patient Satisfaction; Physical Therapy Modalities - methods; Prostheses and Implants; Range of Motion, Articular; Tendons - transplantation; Time Factors; Transplantation, Autologous; Treatment Outcome; Weight-Bearing
• ISSN: 0363-5465
• DOI: 10.1177/036354659502300512

Forty patients with anterior cruciate reconstructions using semitendinosus and gracilis autografts and a ligament augmentation device were reviewed at a minimum of 20 months postoperatively to determine if an accelerated rehabilitation program was detrimental to intermediate follow-up results. The rehabilitation program included immediate full weightbearing, using crutches as aids for 2 weeks only, and a Generation II rehabilitation brace set at full range of motion for 2 weeks followed at 2 weeks by bicycle riding and strengthening exercises. Return to sports was allowed at 4 months for nonpivoting sports and at 6 months for level 1 sports involving pivoting. Thirty-seven patients were available for followup. At followup, three grafts were determined to be nonfunctional (KT-1000 arthrometer testing indicating > 4 mm of side-to-side difference). The other 34 patients had good or excellent results, with all returning to their preinjury levels of sport with a brace. Early accelerated rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with semitendinosus and gracilis tendon autograft and a ligament augmentation device does not seem to affect the results adversely. Results in this series were as good as or better than other series using the same reconstructive technique.