Contralateral strength training attenuates muscle performance loss following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction: a randomised-controlled trial

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effects of cross-education (CE) exercise on strength and performance at 10 and 24 weeks post anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery.

Methods: Design: randomised controlled trial. N = 44 ACL-reconstruction patients, randomly-allocated into: CE: strength training of the non-operative limb, or CON: sham exercise of upper limb stretching. Each patient underwent standardised ACL rehabilitation, plus 8 weeks of thrice weekly CE or CON, commencing at 2 weeks post surgery. The primary outcome was quadriceps peak force (QPF) of the ACL-reconstructed limb at 10 weeks post surgery. Secondary measures were hamstrings peak force (HPF), rate of force development (RFD) and International Knee Documentation Committee score (IKDC) at 10 and 24 weeks; QPF and hop for distance (HOP) at 24 weeks post surgery.

Results: CE significantly attenuated the decline in QPF of the ACL-reconstructed limb at 10 weeks compared to CON (16.6% decrease vs. 32.0%, respectively); that advantage was not retained at 24 weeks. A training effect was observed in the trained limb for HPF and QPF, which was retained at 24 weeks. No significant differences were observed for IKDC, HOP, RFD, or HPF of the reconstructed limb. Inter-limb symmetry (ILS) ranged from 0.78 to 0.89 and was not significantly different between groups.

Conclusion: High-intensity CE strength training attenuated the post-operative decline in QPF and should be considered in early-phase ACL rehabilitation. ILS data showed good symmetry, but it masked significantly inferior performance between groups and should be used with caution.

Trial registration number: NCT02722876.

Keywords: Cross-education; Cross-transfer; Rehabilitation; Strength training.