ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Ortopedica e Traumatologica 2010 October;61(5):373-80

Copyright © 2010 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Preliminary comparative randomized blind study on pain reduction after Acl recon-struction with Nexus-ES® Knee Band

Giannini E. M. ¹, Michelotti M. ²

¹ Centro di Scienze Motorie e Riabilitazione Funzionale "Kinetik", Pisa 2 Casa di Cura San Rossore, Pisa

Aim. Actually rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction aims to an even faster time for full recovery. The aim of this study was to verify whether electromagnetic fields produced by a special, registered fiber, enriched with extremely light, noble metals with conductive propriety could reduce the postoperative pain.
Methods. Sixty-one patients, attending at the same rehabilitation centre, after the same operation, performed by the same surgeon have been randomized in two groups: the first group (26) used the knee-band Nexus ES® and the control group (35) used a knee-band indistinguishable for the patients.
Results. As expected, pain (measured by a 0-10 VAS) decreases in both groups from period A (1-3 days after operation) to period B (8-10 days after operation). Differences between groups appear statistically significant 1-3 days after operation (25%), but more clearly 8-10 days after operation (68%), with a lower pain perception in the Nexus ES® group. No adverse events have been reported in the course of the study.
Conclusion. Data collected are preliminary but show a statistical significant difference between the groups during the rehabilitation period; patients in the active group show a lower pain perception after operation through an improvement of tissue exchanges and oxygenation.