Home Vs. Physiotherapy Supervised Rehabilitation After ACL Reconstruction

Comparison of Home Vs. Physiotherapy-Supervised Rehabilitation Programs Following Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)

This study was designed to determine whether or not there were any differences in knee range of motion, both statically and during gait, sagittal plane knee laxity, and quadriceps and hamstrings strength in patients three months post-ACL reconstruction with a bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft based on their performance of a primarily home based rehabilitation program or a standard physiotherapy-supervised program.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. 16 years of age or older
2. Surgery at least 6 weeks after injury to allow for a return of full range of motion, minimize swelling, and offset strength deficits due to pain/swelling14,28
3. ACL reconstruction with a bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Previous or concomitant reconstruction of any knee ligament to either knee
2. Ongoing knee abnormality unrelated to the ACL injury (eg, evidence of changes on radiographs consistent with osteoarthritis)
3. Professional athletes or workers' compensation patients
4. Complications during surgery (eg, inadequate graft fixation requiring protocol modification)
5. Patients without access to local physical therapy services