Associated ACL Reconstruction and Meniscal Repair do not Affect the Evolution of Isokinetic Parameters in Professional Athletes: A Prospective Study with a One-Year Follow-Up

Background. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is the most frequent ligament injury in athletes and is often accompanied by a traumatic meniscus tear. When a patient is submitted to a concomitant ACL reconstruction and meniscal repair, early rehabilitation caution might slightly delay knee function progress, potentially affecting gains in range of motion, strength recovery and subsequent return to sports. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the evolution of isokinetic parameters in professional athletes who underwent ACL reconstruction, with and without concomitant meniscal repair. Methods. Isokinetic parameters of fifty-eight professional athletes were assessed at the pre-surgery stage, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, and +12 months post-surgery. Employing linear mixed-effect models, the effects of time and meniscal repair on knee extensors and flexors peak torque, bilateral asymmetry index, and hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio were analyzed. Results. There was a main effect of the time on the peak torque outcomes in the injured side and bilateral asymmetry index of the knee extensors and flexors. However, the main effect of meniscus repair was not significant for all outcomes. Concurrently, there was no main effect of any factor on the hamstrings-to-quadriceps strength ratio. Conclusions. Generally, our analysis revealed that associated meniscal repair did not influence the recovery of muscle strength in athletes. Additionally, athletes require a minimum of 9 months to exhibit significant enhancement in isokinetic parameters compared to their preoperative performance.