Functional recovery after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a longitudinal perspective

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate functional hop performance in subjects with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with a bone-patellar tendon-bone graft during 12, 18, 26, 39, and 52 weeks.

Design: A longitudinal comparative study.

Setting: University research laboratory.

Participants: Patients (N=19) were evaluated at 12, 18, 26, 39, and 52 weeks after ACL reconstruction surgery.

Intervention: Testing on 5 separate occasions.

Main outcome measures: The Cincinnati Knee Rating System and analog scales, the 6-meter timed hop, crossover hop, stair hop, and vertical hop, and limb symmetry indices.

Results: The uninjured and injured legs and test order were randomized. There was a significant test occasion main effect for both the Cincinnati and analog scores (P=.001). Subjective rating scores improved over the 5 testing occasions. For all 4 hop tests, test occasion and limb main effects were significant (P=.001). Paired t test comparisons at each testing occasion indicated a significant difference between the reconstructed and uninjured limb (P<.05). Furthermore, significant test occasion main effects were noted for limb symmetry indices for the 4 hop tests (P=.001). Using a score of greater than or equal to 85% as a criterion for normative limb symmetry, normative scores were recorded in the 6-m timed hop at the week 18 test occasion, the stair hop and vertical hop at the week 26 test occasion, and the crossover hop at the week 39 test occasion.

Conclusions: These hop tests showed different levels of imposed demands on the knee that could be used to assess functional recovery and readiness to resume sport.