Strength recovery trajectories in young adults with and without generalized joint hypermobility during the first two years after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a registry study.

OBJECTIVE

Compare muscle strength and hop performance trajectories between patients with and without generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) during the first two years after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

DESIGN

Retrospective study using prospective registry data.

SETTING

Rehabilitation-specific registry.

PARTICIPANTS

1223 patients (23.8 % GJH; mean age 22.5 ± 5.2 years; 52 % female) underwent hamstring tendon (HT) or bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) autograft ACL reconstruction.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Quadriceps and hamstring strength limb symmetry index (LSI) and body weight-normalized strength, and vertical-, distance-, and 30-s side hop LSI at 10 weeks, 4, 8, 12, 18 months, and 2 years were analyzed. Linear mixed-effects models, adjusted for age and sex, compared trajectories stratified by autograft.

RESULTS

No differences in strength or hop performance trajectories were observed between groups. At 2 years, quadriceps and hamstrings LSIs were comparable (HT: quadriceps 99-100 %, hamstrings 99 %; BPTB: quadriceps 94-99 %, hamstrings 103-104 %).

CONCLUSION

There was no difference in muscle strength recovery trajectories, evaluated as LSI and body weight-normalized strength for the quadriceps and hamstrings muscles, or in the vertical hop, hop for distance, and 30-s side hop test LSIs between patients with and without GJH during the first two years after ACL reconstruction, regardless of whether HT or BPTB was used.