ACL rehabilitation program using a combined isokinetic and isotonic strengthening protocol

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present a rehabilitation program following ACL reconstruction. This program consists of isotonic as well as isokinetic muscle strengthening components. Forty-five post-ACL surgery patients took part in this study. They were all male athletes participating in different events. Patients were divided randomly into 3 groups of 15 corresponding to 3 distinct rehabilitation programs which continued for 3 months after surgery. During the first month the groups followed the same paradigm. For the next two months, group A continued the practice by using only isotonic strengthening exercises, group B used exclusively isokinetic strengthening exercises and group C performed a combined program of isokinetic and isotonic exercises. The three groups appear to have improved until the 3rd post operative month, with highly significant pre-post differences in the various measured parameters. However, group C patients achieved the highest outcome scores and therefore our recommendation calls for a mixed isokinetic-isotonic program.