ORTHOPEDIC AREA 

Medicina dello Sport 2011 June;64(2):185-200

Copyright © 2011 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

Changes in ballistic muscle activation patterns after two different anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction techniques

Bisciotti G. N. ¹, Sannicandro I. ², Manno R. ³

¹ Qatar Orthopedics and Sport Medicine Hospital, Doha (Q) Kinemove Rehabilitation Centers, Pontremoli, Parma, Italy 2 Sciences and Techniques of Motor Activities, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy 3 Institute of Sport and Science Medicine, Unity of Sport Science, Coni Servizi, Rome, Italy

Aim. Reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament using autologous patellar tendon or semitendons involves two different types of functional adaptation in muscular and proprioceptive terms. The purpose of the present study was to monitor deficits at the end of the recovery process (150 day follow-up) between healthy and injured extremities, in two different groups.
Methods. Two groups were considered in this study, each consisting of 15 male subjects engaged in sporting activities. Both groups had undergone reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament, the first with autologous patellar tendon (PTG) and the second with semitendons (STG).
Results. Follow-up results in the two groups showed a significant difference between healthy and injured extremities in the parameter relative to maximum negative acceleration (44.99±6.41%, P<0.001) in the STG and a significant difference relative to the maximum ground impact force parameter (11.45±3.17%, P<0.001) in the PTG.
Conclusion. The two groups showed a different functional adaptation pattern at the end of the post-surgical rehabilitation period, which suggests that, in this regard, the two reconstruction techniques require special attention in the preparation of post-surgical rehabilitation programmes.