Affiliations: [a] Centro de Estudos de Fisiologia do Exercício
(CEFE) -- UNIFESP/EPM, Sao Paulo, Brazil | [b] Centro de Traumato-Ortopedia do Esporte (CETE) --
UNIFESP/EPM, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Prof. Dr. Antonio Carlos da Silva,
Dept. of Physiology UNIFESP, Rua Botucatu, 862 5° andar, Sāo
Paulo-SP, Brasil. E-mail: anton@ecb.epm.br
Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine differences in isokinetic
performance, hop tests, range of motion and thigh circumference between the
involved and uninvolved leg in patients after 4, 5, 6 and 8 months after
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and to investigate the possible
correlation between the different evaluation methods. Fourteen male subjects
submitted to intra-articular reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament
with patellar tendon graft. All parameters improved from the 4th to the 8th
month post-op. The deficits were more pronounced for the quadriceps than for
the hamstrings, which regained full function at 5 months. Quadriceps
performance and thigh circumference were impaired even after 8 months.
According to the Lysholm Score, all subjects scored at least as good function
and 54% correlation between quadriceps performance and both single and triple
hops (0.51--0.63), whilst for the harmstrings the correlations were weak
(0.32--0.44). We conclude that: 1) Individuals with anterior cruciate ligament
injury present quadriceps weakness even after 8 months of the reconstructive
surgery using patellar tendon graft; 2) when an isokinetic dynamometer is not
available, horizontal impulse tests can be used to evaluate quadriceps
deficiency; 3) thigh circumference should not be used as a measurement to
predict muscle performance; 4) the Lysholm Score is not sensitive to detect
limitations in muscle performance.
