Early Measures of Torque Development are Related to Peak Torque at Six Months Following ACL Reconstruction.
Ryan McGuire, William Swann, John Jurjans and 3 others
PMID 40182906WHAT IT FOUND
Four months after ACL reconstruction, the injured knee's ability to generate quadriceps torque quickly was associated with greater peak torque at six months.
The injured limb also produced torque more slowly than the other limb.
Key findings
01Four-month isometric quadriceps rate of torque development was significantly related to six-month isokinetic peak torque at both tested speeds.
02At four months, the involved limb's median RTD 100 was 136.5 Nm/s compared with 235.3 Nm/s on the uninvolved limb, and RTD 200 was 132.6 Nm/s compared with 238.6 Nm/s, with both differences significant.
03Four-month peak isometric torque was significantly related to six-month isokinetic peak torque at 60°/sec with ρ = 0.77 and at 180°/sec with ρ = 0.64.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This was a retrospective case series, so it shows association rather than cause and effect. Only 47 of 87 screened patients had the required testing, so the results may not apply to patients who were excluded. All patients were treated at one center with the same rehabilitation protocol, so results may differ in other clinics or with other protocols. Isometric testing was done at either 60° or 90° of knee flexion based on therapist preference, which could affect comparisons. Testing was done only at four and six months, so other time points might show different relationships. The study did not test an intervention, so it cannot show that changing training improves strength or function.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that early rate of torque development training will improve quadriceps strength at six months. This was an observational case series, and the study did not test any training intervention.