The Effects of the Comprehensive Rehabilitation Method on Quadriceps Activation: Outcomes in Patients with an Injury to the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

Abstract

Dynamics of the indices of interferential superficial electromyography of the quadriceps muscle in patients with an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee joint were investigated in the process of physical rehabilitation. The study included 39 randomly selected individuals with a complete ACL tear who were qualified for surgical reconstruction. The age of the participants was 18–59 (average: 36.3±12.8) years. All participants underwent rehabilitation treatment in the Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, and had surgeries in the institute’s clinics. In the functional rehabilitation period, in patients in the main group, who were engaged in the author’s programme, there were no statistically significant differences in the mean amplitude of the quadriceps head intact and injured limbs (p>0.05). The values of the comparative factor of maximal contraction of the heads of the quadriceps muscle of the intact and injured limbs of the patients approached the norm. In patients in the control group, a statistically significant (p<0.05) difference in the mean values of the mean amplitude of the contraction of the heads of the quadriceps muscle of the injured and intact limbs was established: in relation to vastus medialis – 98.93±37.13 mV and 175.90±65.96 mV, in relation to the rectus femoris muscle – 113.59±62.67 mV and 169.99±52.23 mV.