Objective To evaluate the effects of regular isokinetic muscle strength training on knee joint absolute force, explosive force, muscle endurance, and position sense in athletes following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.
Methods Athletes having ACL reconstruction were recruited from Sichuan Competitive Sports Training Base and randomly divided into experimental group (EG, n=18) and control group (CG, n=17) matched for age, height, and weight. EG received eight weeks of isokinetic muscle strength training in addition to traditional rehabilitation treatment after six weeks of ACL reconstruction. The participants were tested for muscle strength and position sense of knee joint to compare within groups and between groups.
Results After the assigned treatment, the absolute force, explosive force, and muscle endurance in the EG increased by 31.6%, 37.9%, and 21.0% for knee flexion, and 37.6%, 22.6%, and 21.9% for knee extension, respectively (P<0.01), and the knee 30° and 60° position sense reduced by 44.3% and 23.9%, respectively (P<0.01). After the assigned treatment, the absolute force of knee extension and muscle endurance of knee flexion in the CG increased by 18.1% and 12.9%, respectively (P<0.05). After eight weeks, compared with the CG, the EG's knee flexion absolute force and explosive force, as well as extension explosive force, absolute force, and muscle endurance increased by 19.3%, 19.7%, 19.1%, 17.7%, and 18.2%, respectively (P<0.01 or P<0.05), and the knee 30° and 60° position sense reduced 41.4% and 19.0%, respectively (P<0.01 or P<0.05).
Conclusion The eight-week isokinetic muscle strength training can effectively improve the knee joint muscle strength and position sense of athletes having ACL reconstruction, except flexion endurance.
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