The purpose of this study is to determine whether the addition of a home-based high-intensity knee extension stretching device (Ermi Knee Extensionater) to standard postoperative physical therapy improves recovery of full knee extension following ACL reconstruction compared with standard physical therapy alone.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
58
Routine standard physical therapy for post op knee reconstructive surgery. May include use of knee Extensionator in a clinic setting.
Standard rehabilitation protocol plus daily home use of the Knee Extensionater for terminal extension stretching. The Ermi device will be distributed to all participants in Arm 2 preoperatively. Stretching protocols will be provided at this time. Following surgery, participants must complete daily home stretching sessions (60 total minutes of end-range stretching per day) starting at postoperative day one. Each stretching session is broken down into 10 minutes of stretching, followed by 10 minutes of rest. This is repeated throughout the day until a total of 60 minutes of stretching is completed. There should be at least one hour between sessions. Stretching sessions will continue until 3 months postop.
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Changes in Knee Range of Motion
A goniometer will be used to measure the post operative knee's range of motion an angle or to rotate an object to a precise angular position.
Time frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 3 months
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