Study of proprioception and muscle strength following arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Abstract

Mechanoreceptors located in the joint capsule, knee joint ligaments and menisci may be affected by a knee injury involving anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture and disturbances of the afferent activity may occur. There’s evidence that injury to the anterior cruciate ligament may cause proprioceptive deficits, with several studies showing decreased knee proprioception in people with ACL deficient knees, which may allow inappropriate loading of a joint, this may induce microtrauma. Enhancement of the neuromuscular control of the knee following ACL reconstruction may lead to better outcomes in terms of return to functional activities and a reduced rate of re injury. Sjolander and Sojka suggested that stimulation of mechanoreceptors in joint structures may stimulate the sensitivity of muscle spindles around the joint, in turn creating a state of readiness of muscles to reply to destabilizing forces applied to the joint and thereby improve active joint stability. Although injury to the ACL will disrupt local mechanoreceptors, compensatory activation of other knee joint mechanoreceptors may produce compensatory muscle activation, for joint stabilization. These compensatory neuromuscular patterns could also be developed and ABSTRACT