Abstract

The study presents five functional benchmarks (FBs) corresponding to various levels of knee function and physical fitness (from basic locomotion to sports-level performance) in patients undergoing physiotherapy (rehabilitation) after reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The FBs presented in the paper complement clinical evaluation of the outcomes of a comprehensive treatment plan for post-ACL reconstruction patients. We introduce our own classification of functional benchmarks (FBs) and propose examination methods which allow fairly objective assessment of the fitness level of the musculoskeletal system at a particular stage of rehabilitation. The following FBs are described: clinical (CFB), minimal (MFB), standard (SFB), optimal (OFB) and sports (SPFB). Two criteria are assumed separately for the sports benchmark, namely an amateur sports benchmark and a professional sports benchmark. The paper presents the author’s experience as well as a review of the literature basing on the experience of other authors.

Key words:

Functional Benchmarks (FBs), anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), physiotherapy, ACL injuries