A Comparative Study between EMG Biofeedback Facilitated Exercise and Exercises alone on Recovery Rate of Quadriceps Femoris Muscle Strength Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

The pupose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of electromyography-biofeedback (EMG-B) on quadriceps muscle strength after Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

The patients were randomly divided into two groups each consisting of 20 subjects. For the control group, a classical exercise program was given and the experimental (biofeedback) group received five sessions of EMG-B application every week for 2 weeks postoperatively, inaddition to classical exercise programe. EMG electrical activity values of vastus medialis obliques (VMO), and vastus lateralis (VL) and Lysholm knee score were measured postoperatively on the 3rd and 14th day.

When Lysholm knee scores on the 3rd and 14th day were compared in the control and biofeedback groups there was a statistically significant difference in favour of the biofeedback group (p<0.05). The maximum contraction and average contraction values of VMO, VL muscles were compared with operated/non-operated % age ratios, there was a statistically significant difference in favour of the biofeedback group (p<0.01).

Our results showed that EMG-B was an effective treatment modality in improving quadriceps muscle strength after Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery.