Effectiveness of physiotherapy in the treatment of excessive lateral pressure syndrome after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction - preliminary report.

BACKGROUND The excessive lateral pressure syndrome is a common complication following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is. It may lead to premature wear of the articular surfaces of the femur and patella. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of physiotherapy in the treatment of excessive lateral pressure syndrome after ACL reconstruction. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 18 patients (4 women, 14 men) after arthroscopic ACL reconstruction were enrolled (age: 16 -54 years). The patients were randomly divided into two groups: experimental (Group E, 9 people), who attended therapy, and control (group C, 9 people). The distance between the lateral edge of the patella and the lateral condyle of femur was measured with an ultrasound scanner in both extremities. The experimental group patients attended 12 treatment sessions of the.Neurac method. A single session lasted 45 minutes. RESULTS The baseline examination of both groups showed statistically significant excessive lateral pressure in the operated extremity in relation to the non-operated one in every angular position. At the same time, the quadriceps femoris of the operated extremity was found to be significantly weaker than its counterpart. On completion of the rehabilitation, statistically significant differences in quadriceps strength were recorded in the experimental group compared to the baseline examination while there were no significant differences in the control group. An intergroup comparison did not reveal any significant differences in quadriceps strength. There were also no significant differences in the severity of lateral pressure syndrome before and after the therapy in either group. CONCLUSIONS 1. Rehabilitation improved quadriceps femoris, strength; it did not, however, decrease excessive lateral pressure syndrome. 2. The rehabilitation programme is not sufficient in conservative treatment of excessive lateral pressure syndrome.