Open and closed kinetic chain exercises in the early period after anteriorcruciate ligament reconstruction - Improvements in level walking, stair ascent, and stair descent

Thirty-seven patients who had undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstr uction were tested in a gait analysis laboratory at 2 and 6 weeks after sur gery. Between test sessions, patients were randomly assigned to a course of either closed or open kinetic chain resistance exercises (3 sessions per w eek for 4 weeks). Gait analysis consisted of bilateral calculations of knee joint angle, moment, and power during level walking, stair ascent, and sta ir descent. An analysis of variance on the effects of training group and te st session indicated that the only variable to be significantly affected by the type of exercise program was the amount of knee flexion at the beginni ng of step-up (P < 0.05). All other measures of knee angle, moment, and pow er (16 total variables) showed no significant difference between the exerci se groups. All variables measured on the injured side showed significant im provement from test 1 to test 2 (P < 0.05), but the injured leg remained fu nctionally deficient when compared with the uninjured leg. These data sugge st that there are no clinically significant differences in the functional i mprovement resulting from the choice of open or closed kinetic chain exerci ses in the early period after this surgery.