Abstract
Birmingham TB, Kramer JF, Kirkley A. Effect of a functional knee brace on knee flexion
and extension strength after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Arch Phys
Med Rehabil 2002;83:1472-5. Objectives: To investigate the effect of a knee brace on knee flexion and extension muscular
strength of patients after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and to
evaluate whether the effect of the brace depends on patient symptoms and muscular
strength. Design: Repeated measures. Setting: A university-based outpatient orthopedic clinic and musculoskeletal assessment laboratory.
Participants: Twenty-seven patients (14 women, 13 men; mean age, 28±11y) having undergone arthroscopically
assisted ACL reconstruction by using a semitendinosus and gracilis autograft. Intervention: A custom-fit ACL functional knee brace. Main Outcome Measures: The brace effect was calculated as the change in peak torque observed with the brace,
expressed as a percentage of peak torque observed without the brace, during isokinetic
concentric knee flexion and extension movements performed at 90°/s. Patient symptoms
were quantified by using a disease-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire.
Results: Knee flexion strength decreased significantly with the brace (mean brace effect=−7.3%,
P<.05). The brace effect during knee flexion varied considerably (−52% to 47%) and
was significantly related to peak torque observed without the brace (r=−.50, P<.01). All other comparisons and correlations were not significant. Conclusions: These findings suggest that brace effects depend on patient strength. A brace may
inhibit knee flexion strength of stronger patients, yet result in no change or even
improvements in strength of weaker patients. Future research is required to further
elucidate which patients may derive most benefit or detriment from bracing. © 2002 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy
of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Keywords
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Footnotes
☆No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.
☆☆Reprint requests to Trevor B. Birmingham, PhD, Elborn College, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ont N6G 1H1, Canada, e-mail: [email protected]
★Suppliers
★★a. DonJoy Defiance; dj Orthopedics LLC, 2985 Scott St, Vista, CA 92083-8339.
♢b. KinCom 500-H; Chattecx Corp, 4717 Hixson Rd, PO Box 489, Hixson, TN 34343.
♢♢c. StatSoft Inc, 2300 E 14th St, Tulsa, OK 74104.
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Copyright
© 2002 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
