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JOURNAL
OF
SPORTS SCIENCE &
MEDICINE
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Research
article
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IMPROVING FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE AND MUSCLE POWER 4-TO-6 MONTHS AFTER ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION |
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Sabrine Souissi1,6, Del P. Wong2  ,
Alexandre Dellal1,3,7, Jean-Louis Croisier4, Zied
Ellouze5 and Karim Chamari1,6 |
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1Tunisian Research Laboratory ''Sport Performance Optimisation'' - National Centre of Medicine and Science in Sport (CNMSS) - El Menzah, Tunisia, 2Department of Health and Physical Education, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, Hong Kong, 3Olympique Lyonnais FC (soccer), 4Department of Motricity Sciences, Liège, Belgium, 5Aspetar-Orthopeadic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar, 6ISSEP, Ksar-Saïd, University of Manouba, Tunisia, 7Santy Orthopedicae Clinical, Sport Science and Research Department, Lyon, France |
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© Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2011) 10, 655 - 664 |
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| ABSTRACT | |||
| The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 8-week
retraining programs, with either two or three training sessions per week,
on measures of functional performance and muscular power in athletes with
anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Sixteen male athletes
were randomly assigned to two groups after ACLR: a functional training group
(FTG, n = 8) training 2 intense sessions per week (4hrs/week), and a control
group (CG, n = 8) training 3 sessions per week with moderate intensity (6hrs/week).
The two groups were assessed at four and six months post-ACLR and the effects
of retraining were measured using the following assessments: the functional
and the muscular power tests, and the agility T-test. After retraining,
the FTG had improved more than the CG in the operated leg in the single
leg hop test (+34.64% vs. +10.92%; large effect), the five jump test (+8.87%
vs. +5.03%; medium effect), and single leg triple jump (+32.15% vs. +16.05%;
medium effect). For the agility T-test, the FTG had larger improvements
(+17.26% vs. +13.03%, medium effect) as compared to the CG. For the bilateral
power tests, no significant training effects were shown for the two groups
in the squat jump (SJ), the counter movement jump (CMJ) and the free arms
CMJ (Arm CMJ). On the other hand, the unilateral CMJ test with the injured
and the uninjured legs showed a significant increase for the FTG with respect
to CG (p < 0.05). The present study introduces a new training modality
in rehabilitation after ACLR that results in good recovery of the operated
limb along with the contra-lateral leg. This may allow the athletes to reach
good functional and strength performance with only two physical training
sessions per week, better preparing them for a return to sport activity
at 6 months post- ACLR and eventually sparing time for a possible progressive
introduction of the sport specific technical training. Key words: ACL reconstruction, knee injury, retraining, agility, strength testing, power testing. |
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