The significance of water rehabilitation in patients with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the responses elicited during aquatic and land rehabilitation to establish the comparison among parameters such as, range of motion (ROM), muscle strength, circumference of muscle mass and swelling. Thirteen individuals with an anterior reconstruction ligament with a concomitant meniscal injury participated in the study who established 2 groups: the land rehabilitation (LR), patients who were followed by a land program and the water rehabilitation (WR) whose patients had an aquatic program. Clinical evaluations were applied in the 0, 3, 6 and 9 weeks measuring the parameters. The patients from the WR reached the best results for all parameters which were evaluated. We concluded the aquatic rehabilitation allowed earlier function recuperation than the land program.