Impact of quadriceps strengthening on response to fatiguing exercise following ACL reconstruction.

OBJECTIVES: Patients commonly experience altered response to fatiguing exercise after ACL reconstruction (ACLR). The objective of this study was to assess the impact of quadriceps strengthening on response to exercise after ACLR.

DESIGN: Clinical trial.

METHODS: Ten participants with a history of primary, unilateral ACLR (sex=9F/1M, age=21.0±2.8 years, BMI=23.7±2.7kg/m(2)) and 10 healthy participants (sex=9F/1M, age=22.2±3.2 years, BMI=23.8±3.9kg/m(2)) participated. ACLR participants completed a 2-week quadriceps strengthening intervention including 14 progressive strengthening exercise sessions. Normalized knee extension maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) torque (Nm/kg) and quadriceps central activation ratio (%, CAR) were measured before and after a 30-minute fatiguing exercise protocol. ACLR participants completed testing before and after the 2-week intervention while control participants completed a single testing session.

RESULTS: The intervention significantly improved normalized knee extension MVIC torque (pre-intervention=1.85±0.67Nm/kg, post-intervention=2.09±0.81Nm/kg, p=0.04) and quadriceps CAR in the ACLR involved limb (pre-intervention=86.51±5.03%, post-intervention=92.94±5.99%, p=0.02). Quadriceps CAR (pre-intervention=1.13±9.04%, post-intervention=-3.97±4.59%, p=0.16) and normalized knee extension MVIC torque (pre-intervention=0.26±20.90%, post-intervention=-8.02±12.82%, p=0.30) response to exercise did not significantly change from pre-intervention to post-intervention conditions.

CONCLUSIONS: Two weeks of quadriceps strengthening reduced this between group difference in the involved limb which may indicate restoration of more optimal quadriceps neuromuscular function and increased demand on the quadriceps during physical activity.