Rehabilitation of knee flexor and knee extensor muscle strength in patients with meniscectomies, ligamentous repairs, and chondromalacia.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship of torque developed by knee extensor muscles to torque developed by knee flexor muscles as a result of rehabilitation programs for patients with chondromalacia, ligamentous repairs, and meniscectomies. Peak torque of knee extensor and flexor muscles was measured at slow dynamic and rapid dynamic tension on the involved and homologous noninvolved limb. The rehabilitation program produced significant changes in the torque of the involved limb at both dynamic tensions for each group of patients. The knee extensor muscles of the involved limb were not rehabilitated to the level of the knee extensor muscles of the noninvolved limb were rehabilitated to the level of those of the noninvolved limb. The ratio of flexor to extensor muscle torque seemed dependent on the nature of the injury and the rate of displacement. The ratio of flexor to extensor muscle torque of the involved limb was not rehabilitated to that of the homologous noninvolved limb. In rehabilitating muscles of the knee, attention must be directed to the ration between the flexor and extensor muscle torque of the knee.