Table 2 Rehabilitation protocol (identical for both groups)
Rehabilitation phases | Physiotherapy and activities | Objectives | Criteria for progression to next phase |
|---|---|---|---|
Phase1: Accomodation | Education/coaching | Reduce pain and swelling | No pain & swelling during activities of daily living (ADL) |
Ice, elevation and compression | Normalize range of motion | Flexion 90° | |
Isometric exercises | Regain quadriceps control | Normalized quadriceps activity while walking (clinical evaluation by the physical therapist) | |
Range of motion | |||
Gait training (no weight-bearing for two weeks) | |||
Phase2: Rehabilitation | Stationary bike cycling | Recovery of full range of motion | Full range of motion |
Progressive knee and hip resistance training | Normalize muscle strength | No pain or swelling during and after training sessions | |
Neuromuscular training | Dynamic joint stability during ADL | Equally distributed weight on the lower limbs during weight-bearing exercises with no shift of the trunk (visually assessed by the physical therapist) | |
Ability to stand on 1 limb on a flat surface for at lest 10 s | |||
Phase 3: Return to activity | Knee and hip resistance training | Recovery of strength and neuromuscular control | Return to sport based on individual assessment |
Neuromuscular training | Return to activity/sport | ||
Cardiovascular training |