Hamstring Weakness Post ACLR: It's never too late to regain your strength!

This Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) by Bregenhof et al (2023) examined the effect of rehab for people with persistent hamstring weakness 1-2 years after ACL reconstruction (ACLR) with hamstring autografts.

The study compared a supervised strength training program (SNG) - that was carried out 2x per week for 3 months - to a standard home-based exercise program (CON) that were also carried out 2x per week for 3 months.

Key findings:

• Supervised training significantly improved knee flexor strength compared to home-based exercises.
• Supervised training also led to greater improvements in pain, function, and activities of daily living.

Implications for physiotherapy:

• Supervised strength training programs can improve hamstring strength even a year after ACLR surgery.
• This type of program may also improve pain and function.
• More research is needed to determine the ideal program design and clinically important strength gains.

Limitations of the study:

• Participants were not blinded to which group they were in, potentially influencing results.
• The minimally important difference in strength is not definitively established.

Overall, this study suggests that it's never too late to turn things around; and a 3 month program of supervised, progressive overload strength training can be beneficial for people with persistent hamstring weakness after ACLR.

Read the full text paper here

If you're also after the strength training protocol for the supervised group, click on this link

If you are looking for more bite-sized nuggets of clinical gold to help you stay up to date, make sure you sign up to the free Learn.Physio weekly mailing list here.

By joining the free mailing list, you will also receive exclusive and generous offers & discounts on all of our online educational content that only Mailing List Members receive!

Can't wait for the next weekly email to get your Physio Research fix?

Feel free to visit our website www.learn.physio right now, where you can find hours and hours of free and paid continuing education resources.