[Rehabilitation following reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament. The effect of a 6-week training program].

Operations on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) represents a great challenge to the therapeutic team. Apart from early mobilisation, increasing attention must be paid to long-term after-care. Nineteen patients receiving reconstruction of the ACL underwent 6 weeks of training an average of 7.6 months after the procedure. At the start and end of the program, a dynamometric test (Dynamatik), and a function test, modified by Noyes, comprising a one-leg standing jump and hopping on one leg for six meters, were performed. Dynamometry revealed a clearly greater improvement in knee extension in the operated leg as compared with the non-operated leg, while the function tests revealed an improvement only in the operated leg. Correlation studies revealed no relationship between knee extension and function tests. For this reason, in addition to muscular strength, both training programs and after-care should take account also of the functional components of human locomotion, and should be carried out for a number of years.