Effect of quadriceps training at different levels of blood flow restriction on quadriceps strength and thickness in the mid-term postoperative period after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a randomized controlled external pilot study

• Published in: BMC musculoskeletal disorders 2023-05, Vol.24 (1), p.360-360, Article 360
• Main Authors: Li, Xuefeng, Li, Jinyu, Qing, Liang, Wang, Haonan, Ma, Huijun, Huang, Peng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accelerated rehabilitation; Analysis; Anterior cruciate ligament; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries - surgery; Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction; Atrophy; Blood flow; Blood flow restriction training; Blood pressure; Body weight; Cellular telephones; Compression; Different level of restriction; Exercise; Experiments; Health aspects; Humans; Knee; Knee Joint; Ligaments; Methods; Muscle strength; Musculoskeletal diseases; Patients; Physical fitness; Physical therapy; Pilot Projects; Postoperative period; Quadriceps muscle; Quadriceps Muscle - diagnostic imaging; Questionnaires; Reconstructive surgery; Rehabilitation; Research Design; Rest; Sports medicine; Sports training; Strength training; The thickness of the rectus femoris and vastus intermedius; Therapeutics, Physiological; Training; Weightlifting
• ISSN: 1471-2474; 1471-2474
• DOI: 10.1186/s12891-023-06483-x

More than 2 million anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur worldwide each year. Most surgeons suggest that athletes and active persons with significant knee functional demands, including cutting motions, require and should be offered ligament reconstruction surgery. Despite concentrated rehabilitation efforts, deficits in quadriceps size and strength can persist for years after surgery. Blood flow restriction (BFR) training can help overcome disuse muscular atrophy in the mid-term postoperative period after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of quadriceps training with different levels of blood flow restriction on quadriceps strength and thickness of participants after ACLR. In this study, 30 post-ACL reconstruction participants were randomly divided into three groups (control, 40% Arterial Occlusion Pressure [AOP] and 80% AOP groups). All patients were subjected to different levels of BFR, combined with conventional quadriceps rehabilitation, for 8 weeks. Assessments included scaled maximal isokinetic knee extension strength at 60°/s and 180°/s, the sum of the thickness of the affected femoris rectus and vastus intermedius, Y-balance test performance, and International Knee Documentation Committee questionnaire responses before and after the intervention. In total, 23 participants completed the entire study. The 80% AOP compression group showed an increase in quadriceps femoris muscle strength and muscle thickness (p