Abstract

Background. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness ofa therapeutic regimen combining kinesiotherapy, cryotherapy and electrical stimulation in patients with a surgically treated anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Materials and methods. Twenty-four patients with reconstructed ACL participated in the study. The patients were randomly divided into Groups A and B, each group containing 12 indMduals. Both groups received kinesiotherapy and cryotherapy according to the same programme, but Group B additionally received electrical stimulation. A therapeutic cycle comprised kinesiotherapy, cryotherapy and electrical stimulation procedures, ten of each kind. Sessions took place three times a week. The progress of healing in the patients was followed by assessing passive and active flexion at the knee, measuring the knee-joint circumference and load-testing of the limb.Results. After the treatment, both groups showed statistically significant improvements in flexion of the knee joint and reduced swelling of the joint. The leg-loading test performed after the treatment provided statistically significant improvement compared to pre-treatment data in both groups. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups regarding treatment effectiveness.Conclusions. A combination of kinesiotherapy and cryotherapy is an effective adjunct to the treatment of patients with a surgically treated anterior cruciate ligament. The introduction of electrical stimulation did not offer additional therapeutic benefits.

Słowa kluczowe

anterior cruciate ligament, ACL, kinesiotherapy, cryotherapy, electrical stimulation