Progressive Rehabilitation of a Professional Soccer Player After an Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Phase 1: Clinical Perspective with Video Demonstration

We outline a case of success in the rehabilitation of a Romanian first-division soccer player who sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture with a meniscal tear during competition in the 2012–2013 season. The ligament was reconstructed with an autologous hamstrings graft and partial meniscectomy was performed. The player returned to same-level competition in 7 months and has remained at that level, free of knee injury, to the present (6 years later). Based on postoperative phase 1 as proposed by the Royal Dutch Society for Physical Therapy, we proposed a clinical progression of exercises with video demonstrations to address body functions and structures and the level of activities and participation. All phase 1 objectives were achieved, and all criteria needed to advance to phase 2 of the ACL rehabilitation process were attained.

The Functional Tests after ACL Reconstruction with and without Meniscal Repair

Objective: This study aims to compare the functional tests after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) with and without meniscal repair after the rehabilitation program and before returning to sports. Material and Methods: Patients who underwent ACLR using hamstring tendon autograft during 2016-2017 were invited to participate in this study and divided into 2 groups including with and without meniscal repairs according to the surgical reports. A group of ACLR with meniscal repair required the conservative anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rehabilitation program because the non-weight-bearing approach should be applied during the first 6 weeks. These patients were followed up clinically until the rehabilitation program finished. The functional tests were applied with the 4 single-leg hop tests, as reported in the limb symmetry index (LSI). Results: Forty-three patients were enrolled in the program. These patients were divided into 2 groups: ACLR with meniscal repair (n=20) and ACLR without meniscal repair (n=23). It was found that there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups with respect to duration for completing the rehabilitation program (p-value=0.38). Also, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups with respect to the LSI of all 4 singleleg hop tests of duration for completing the rehabilitation program. Conclusion: The conservative ACL rehabilitation program after meniscal repair surgery did not affect the function tests in terms of duration for completing the rehabilitation program before return to sports (RTS).