Another study, published in the American Journal Of Sports Medicine, found that the following exercise routine helped participants perform better on the single leg hop test, improve self-reported knee function scores, improve quadriceps and hamstring strength, and even showed a positive trend for return to sports after surgery
According to the study:
“The program consisted of 4 exercise periods per week: 2 supervised gym sessions alternating with 2 supervised home sessions… Patients were allowed to perform 1 repetition of their maximal effort to determine starting weights in the gym. Each gym activity consisted of 3 sets of 12 repetitions and the weights were increased by 10% to 15% each week. During the last gym session, the weights were returned to the previous week’s value to prevent preoperative fatigue and to promote muscular endurance response and mass gain. Home exercises consisted of the same program as in the gym, but with the use of a TheraBand instead of weights. Patients used a DonJoy knee brace locked at 20 degrees of extension to reduce the risk of further ACL loading pre- or postoperatively during open kinetic chain (OKC) exercise. The brace also acts as a confidence factor during OKC exercises. Proprioception training was performed on a wobble cushion.”
The exercise routine, highlighted in the appendix of the study, consists of the
next. Although the full text of the study is not freely available, you can access the appendix here by clicking on “Supplementary Material” in the left column.
Exercise group 1 – All exercises 3×12
- Leg press
- Leg curl
- Leg extension
Exercise group 2 – All exercises 3×12
- Half drop
- 45 degree squat
- Calf raises
Exercise group 3 – All exercises 3×12
- Hip abduction
- Hip adduction
- Hip flexion
Balancing/Proprioception – 3×30 seconds – Use a wobble cushion
- Step 1: Stand on one leg with
eyes open - Step 2: Stand on one leg with
eyes closed - Step 3: Stand on one leg with
eyes closed, head raised
Stretching – All stretching exercises 3×30 seconds
- Quadriceps
- Hamstring
- Calf