Effect of isokinetic training on the function recovery of knee meniscus injuries following arthroscope

Xinghai LI; Yanbo REN; Guoping XI

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Rehabilitation training after sports injury is of so great importance in the remaining and relieving of exercise ability that the researches in thisfield need to develop.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the influence of isokinetic training on the functional recovery of knee flexors and extensors and the muscle force around the joint after knee meniscus injuries receiving arthroscopy.

DESIGN:

Case-control observation

SETTING:

Department of Police Training, Liaoning Advanced Police Officer School

PARTICIPANTS:

A total of 20 patients with acute meniscus injury of lateral knee joint were selected from the Department of Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University between September 2004 and January 2005. They were randomly divided into experimental group and control group,including 11 cases respectively.

METHODS:

All the patients were treated with arthroscope operation, additionally the control patients received routine blocking, physiotherapy and massage, etc. To recover the function. From the 2nd to 4th days postoperative, the patients of experimental group began to carry out the functional rehabilitation, and received isokinetic exercise in both knees flexors and extensors with the Cybex-6000 isokinetic dynamometer 3 weeks later.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

Peak torque values, total work, torque accelerating energy and average power in both knee flexors and extensors at different angular velocities [60, 120 and 180(°)/s].

RESULTS:

A total of 22 patients were involved in the result analysis.①After arthroscope operation and isokinetic training, the range of joint movement were extended, and the maximum flexion angle changed from (132±25)° to (158±21)°. There were significant differences before and after training by t test (P ＜ 0.01).②The experimental group had statistical significance compare with control group in the test index at 60, 120 and 180(°)/s(P ＜ 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

The arthroscope combining with isokinetic training can speed up the rehabilitation after knee meniscus injury, enhance the muscle force around knee joint and maintain the stability of knee joint and motor ability.