Moments of muscular strength of knee joint extensors and flexors during physiotherapeutic procedures following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in males

The objective of this paper was to evaluate maximal muscular strength moments of knee joint extensors and flexors in males subjected to physiotherapeutic procedures. 120 males were selected for the study. The first group consisted of 54 patients who underwent a 6 month physiotherapy programme following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The control group comprised 54 males without knee joint injuries. The measurement of muscular strength moments was performed in healthy and affected knee joint flexor and extensor muscles postoperatively, during the 13th and 21st week of physiotherapy. The patients' results were next compared with the results obtained in the control group. During the 13th week of physiotherapy, the values of postoperative maximal strength moments in knee joints were significantly lower compared to the results obtained in non-operated limbs and in the control group. The introduction of individual loads adjusted to the course of ACL graft reconstruction and fixation in the bone tunnel resulted in the improvement of maximal muscle strength values in the patients' knee joints from 13 to 21 weeks postoperatively. During the 21st week of physiotherapy, the values of the muscular strengths in the operated limbs were similar to those obtained in non-operated limbs of the patients and in the control group.