The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy
Neuromuscular rehabilitation of a female Olympic ice hockey player following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
Abstract
Case study.
To demonstrate the unique aspects of rehabilitating a female athlete participating in ice hockey following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.
The patient was a 28-year-old female who sustained a traumatic injury to her left knee while playing ice hockey. After 6 weeks of rehabilitation (15 visits), the athlete elected to undergo ACL reconstruction following buckling episodes that she experienced during both skating and walking.
Following ACL reconstruction using a patellar tendon autograft, the patient was treated for 6 months in 44 visits. Initial treatments consisted of effusion management, neuromuscular control of lower extremity muscles, and regaining passive range of motion, especially extension. Although instability testing revealed a negative pivot shift and a 2-millimeter side-to-side difference on KT-1000 examination, the patient reported a sensation of buckling when she attempted skating at 4 months (27 visits) following ACL reconstruction. Off-ice strength and functional testing of the lower extremity did not demonstrate deficits. At that time, a specific neuromuscular program for returning a patient to ice hockey was implemented.
Following 17 physical therapy visits, which combined sport-specific and sex-specific neuromuscular rehabilitation, the patient was able to return to competitive ice hockey. Six months following ACL reconstruction, the patient reported no feeling of instability during skating. The patient reported a Lysholm score of 100 and Tegner activity score of 9. An on-ice functional test revealed the athlete's score was 80% of her pre-injury score.
Failure of static knee stabilizers can be a cause of instability. Following ACL reconstruction, a neuromuscular rehabilitation program may prevent residual knee instability once the static stabilizers have been restored. A sport-specific neuromuscular rehabilitation program for the athlete participating in ice hockey should be considered.
Source and rights
Published by The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy, 2001. The guideline itself is at the source linked here.
Prognia summarises this guideline for reference and education. It is not medical advice. Always check the official guideline and current local protocols before acting on it.