Anterior cruciate ligament injuries are frequent in sports that include contact play, changes of direction at high speed and jumping, which are characterized by high forces and accelerations. They lead to prolonged absence from sporting activities and represent a major financial and psychological burden for clubs and players, respectively. Treatment for anterior cruciate ligament ruptures can be either conservative or operative. Successful postoperative rehabilitation relies on a well structured exercise programme, with main emphasis on strengthening of knee and lower limb muscles along with flexibility, stability and balance training. We have conducted a case study of postoperative rehabilitation after a complete rupture of anterior cruciate ligament. The study subject has injured her knee during a recreational handball match while landing after a jump shot. An extensive measurement protocol was performed before operation and after completion of an 8-week exercise programme. We assessed thigh circumference, knee passive flexibility and maximal strength, agility and hop tests along with other functional measures. After being cleared by the physiotherapist, the study subject engaged in an eight week exercise programme, which consisted of three different exercise sessions, each performed two times per week. Results from post-intervention measurements indicate an improvement in all assessed parameters, although for the majority the values were lower compared to pre operation (except one repetition maximum for squat and leg press on non-operated leg and single leg rise from box). We observed relatively high contralateral asymmetries for peak knee extension and flexion torque along with moderate asymmetries for single leg and triple hop. Our findings confirm that a long period of rehabilitation is required to achieve acceptable function after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Additionally, our findings will help clinicians guide postoperative treatment after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
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