| Summary: | <i>Background</i> <i>and objectives</i>: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) often results in quadricep atrophy. The purpose of this study was to compare the bilateral thickness of each quadricep component before and after ACLR. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> Cross-sectional study design. In 14 patients who underwent ACLR, bilateral quadricep muscle thicknesses were measured using a portable ultrasound device, 1 h before and 48–72 h after ACLR. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare muscle thickness pre- and post-ACLR between the limbs. <i>Results:</i> The primary finding was that the vastus intermedius (VI) muscle was significantly smaller in the reconstructed limb after ACLR compared to that in the healthy limb (Reconstructed limb; RCL = Pre-operated (PRE): 19.89 ± 6.91 mm, Post-operated(POST): 16.04 ± 6.13 mm, Healthy limb; HL = PRE: 22.88 ± 6.07, POST: 20.90 ± 5.78 mm, F = 9.325, <i>p</i> = 0.009, η<sup>2</sup>p = 0.418). <i>Conclusions:</i> The results represent a selective surgical influence on the quadricep muscle thickness. These findings highlight the need of advanced strengthening exercises in order to restore VI thickness after ACLR.
|
|---|