Effectiveness of early onset of rehabilitation on the postural stability after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the early onset of rehabilitation on restoring the postural stability of patients after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) at the 3rd postoperative month.

METHODS

Forty patients after ACLR and twenty healthy controls took part in the investigation. The patients were divided into two groups, depending on the start of their proprioceptive rehabilitation program: an experimental group - on the 5th day after the surgery and a control group - on around the 30th postoperative day. Postural stability was investigated by static posturographic tests on stable and foam surfaces with open and closed eyes.

RESULTS

The patients from the experimental group showed lower amplitudes and velocities of the postural sways than the patients from the control group at the 3rd postoperative month. We found that the early start of the proprioceptive rehabilitation affects more the amplitude than the velocity of the postural sway which remains significantly high in both directions compared to the conventional rehabilitation.

CONCLUSION

The early start of the rehabilitation has a beneficial role in the recovery of the postural stability in the 3rd postoperative month, especially in more challenging conditions for keeping the equilibrium, which contributes to the minimizes the risk of a second anterior cruciate ligament injury after patients' return to their usual sport and daily activities routine.