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Jump training after ACL reconstruction reduced secondary injury, OA risk factors
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Athletes who underwent jump training after ACL reconstruction reduced some risk factors for secondary injury and osteoarthritis, while making lasting improvements in physical function measures and mechanical and neuromuscular coordination deficits, according to results published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine.
Researchers assessed IKDC questionnaire scores, leg landing mechanics, knee joint effusion and a surface electromyography-generated co-contraction index during a single-legged landing among 30 athletes who underwent ACL reconstruction. Of the 30 athletes, researchers randomly assigned 19 athletes with mechanical deficits and limited clinical outcomes to either jump training with normal body weight or high-repetition jump training with body weight support. Researchers assessed joint tolerance using knee effusion grading throughout training. They used two-way analyses of variance with effects of time and group to compare immediate outcomes with retention testing at 8 weeks after training.
During the training phase, results showed significant effects of time for all outcome measures. However, researchers found no effects of group or sex. Researchers noted an increase in IKDC score from approximately 76 to 87, as well as an increase of knee flexion during single-legged landing from approximately 57° to 73°. Results showed a decrease in average co-contraction index from approximately 37 to 19. Both groups retained all measures during the retention period, according to results. When the jump training with normal body weight group was compared with the jump training with body weight support group, researchers found a relative risk of knee effusion of 4.2.
“Long-term prospective research is necessary to determine whether the risk of osteoarthritis and reinjury is, in fact, decreased in patients who undergo extensive jump training,” the authors wrote. “Because patients with less than optimal outcomes after ACL reconstruction are unlikely to improve with time alone and given that long-term sequelae can be debilitating, the results of the current trial indicate a step forward in intervention. A course of directed and individualized jump training is a useful intervention strategy for patients who do not attain their functional goals after ACL reconstruction.” – by Casey Tingle
Disclosures: Funding was provided by grants from the orthopedic section of the American Physical Therapy Association and the Foundation for Physical Therapy. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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