Low-load resistance muscular training with moderate restriction of blood flow after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Low-load resistance muscular training with moderate restriction of blood flow after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
Haruyasu Ohta, Hisashi Kurosawa, Hiroshi Ikeda, Yoshiyuki Iwase, Naohiro Satou & Shinji Nakamura

ABSTRACT

We performed a prospective study to
determine the effects of introducing low-load muscular
training with moderate restriction of blood flow during
the first 16 weeks after reconstruction of the anterior
cruciate ligament. 44 subjects (average age 29 (18–52)
years) were randomized into a group that trained
restriction of blood flow (group R, n = 22) and a group
that trained without restriction (group N, n = 22). Both
groups followed the same training schedule. Evaluations
of knee extensor and flexor torques before surgery and
16 weeks after it showed a significant increase in muscular
strength in group R as compared to group N. The
preoperative/16-week postoperative ratio of the crosssectional
area of the knee extensor muscles showed
a statistically significant enlargement in group R as
compared to group N. 16 weeks after surgery, the short
diameters of type 1 and type 2 fibers of M. vastus lateralis
tended to be larger in group R (n = 8) than in group
N (n = 8), although the differences were not significant.
These findings show that low-load resistance muscular
training during moderate restriction of blood flow is
an effective exercise for early muscular training after
reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.

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