Introduction: The anterior cruciate ligament is the main passive stabilizer against anterior translation of the tibia on the femur. The anterior cruciate ligament rupture occurs more frequently in physically active young adults, mainly amateur, recreational and professional athletes. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction by taking a graft from one of your own muscle tendons is a common procedure. After operation muscle atrophy occurs. The loss of muscle mass is attributed to impaired neuromuscular function, tissue injuries, postsurgery inflammation and postsurgery immobilization. The application of an eccentric resistance exercises may increase quadriceps muscle size and strength after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Purpose: To establish effectiveness of eccentric exercise training on capacity of lower limb muscles after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction based on review of professional literature. Methods: We searched the literature in the databases PubMed, PEDro, ScienceDirect and Springer Link. The following keywords and their combinations were used: ACL anatomy and function, ACL reconstruction, ACL rupture rehabilitation, eccentric exercise in rehabilitation, ACL reconstruction and eccentric exercise. Results: 7 studies were included in the literature review. In all selected studies eccentric exercise was part of a rehabilitation program after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. They found that eccentric exercise can increase the volume and strength of the quadriceps of the operated lower limb and improve the functional capacity of the lower limbs. The exception was one study in which there were no statistically significant differences in quadriceps strength improvement between the two exercise groups. Discussion and conclusion: The results of the analysed studies confirmed the safety and effectiveness of eccentric exercise in rehabilitation in the post-operative period after ACL-R. Eccentric exercise has the effect of increasing muscle mass and improving the strength of the quadriceps femoris and gluteus maximus muscles, as well as improving the function of the lower limbs.
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