Abstract
Purpose
To investigate the effects of cross-education (CE) exercise on strength and performance at 10 and 24 weeks post anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery.
Methods
Design: randomised controlled trial. N = 44 ACL-reconstruction patients, randomly-allocated into: CE: strength training of the non-operative limb, or CON: sham exercise of upper limb stretching. Each patient underwent standardised ACL rehabilitation, plus 8 weeks of thrice weekly CE or CON, commencing at 2 weeks post surgery. The primary outcome was quadriceps peak force (QPF) of the ACL-reconstructed limb at 10 weeks post surgery. Secondary measures were hamstrings peak force (HPF), rate of force development (RFD) and International Knee Documentation Committee score (IKDC) at 10 and 24 weeks; QPF and hop for distance (HOP) at 24 weeks post surgery.
Results
CE significantly attenuated the decline in QPF of the ACL-reconstructed limb at 10 weeks compared to CON (16.6% decrease vs. 32.0%, respectively); that advantage was not retained at 24 weeks. A training effect was observed in the trained limb for HPF and QPF, which was retained at 24 weeks. No significant differences were observed for IKDC, HOP, RFD, or HPF of the reconstructed limb. Inter-limb symmetry (ILS) ranged from 0.78 to 0.89 and was not significantly different between groups.
Conclusion
High-intensity CE strength training attenuated the post-operative decline in QPF and should be considered in early-phase ACL rehabilitation. ILS data showed good symmetry, but it masked significantly inferior performance between groups and should be used with caution.
Trial registration number
NCT02722876.
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Availability of data and material
The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Code availability
Not Applicable.
Abbreviations
- ACL:
-
Anterior cruciate ligament
- CE:
-
Cross-education
- CON:
-
Control
- QPF:
-
Quadriceps peak force
- HPF:
-
Hamstrings peak force
- RFD:
-
Rate of force development
- ILS:
-
Inter-limb symmetry
- IKDC:
-
International knee documentation
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Funding
Funding for this trial was received from the Private Physiotherapy Education Fund, UK (PPEF), grant number: 205.
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CM: Trial design; acquisition and interpretation of data; preparation of manuscript; final approval of manuscript; AB: Trial design; acquisition of data; critical review and final approval of manuscript, trial physiotherapist.PG; SR; AB: Acquisition of data; critical review of manuscript; final approval of manuscript; JHK: Trial design; statical analysis critical review and final approval of manuscript.
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The study was approved by the regional NHS research ethics committee.
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Communicated by Toshio Moritani.
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Minshull, C., Gallacher, P., Roberts, S. et al. Contralateral strength training attenuates muscle performance loss following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction: a randomised-controlled trial. Eur J Appl Physiol 121, 3551–3559 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04812-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04812-3