Accelerated rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Throughout the past decade, there has been a gradual increase in the advocacy of an earlier return to functional activities following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. This has been accomplished, in part, by the advent of accelerated rehabilitation programs, which allow resumption of pre-injury activities at 4-6 months postoperatively and is achieved by emphasizing early range of movement and encouraging early restoration of leg muscle strength. However, concern exists that such programs may compromise the outcome of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, due to the potentially deleterious affects on graft integrity and stability. This review article provides clinicians with a review of accelerated rehabilitation research, discussing the advantages and concerns regarding accelerated rehabilitation and identifies some limitations of current literature. (C) 2002 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.