Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the architectural of gastrocnemius medialis (muscle thickness, fascicle length and pennation angle) and ...
20/08/2015
Paper #215: Muscle Architectural and Functional Differences Between Traditional vs. Early Active Rehabilitation Programs After Achilles Tendon …
Paper #215
Muscle Architectural and Functional Differences Between Traditional vs. Early Active Rehabilitation Programs After Achilles Tendon Repair Marco Aurélio Vaz, PhD, BRAZIL Rafael Duvelius Ott, MS, MD, BRAZIL Jeam Marcel Geremia, BS, BRAZIL Mayra Casa Nova, PT, BRAZIL Valdirene Gambarra Da Silva, PT, BRAZIL Viviane Bortoluzzi Frasson, MS, PT, BRAZIL UFRGS and PUCRS, Porto Alegre, BRAZIL No financial conflicts to disclose FDA Status Not Applicable Experimental models have demonstrated that early motion of sutured tendons accelerates the return of tensile strength to the repair. Early motion is recommended following tendon repairs to prevent formation of adhesions and to reduce the restricted range of motion. However, the exact architectural and functional changes that occur after an early active rehabilitation program compared to a traditional program have not been systematically studied. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the architectural of gastrocnemius medialis (muscle thickness, fascicle length and pennation angle) and functional parameters (ankle active range of motion, plantarflexor isokinetic torque and electromyographic signals) in 32 male patients that underwent either a traditional (TRA; n=14) or an accelerated (ACC; n=18) rehabilitation program after Achilles tendon repair. Our hypothesis is that the ACC program should produce improvement in all structural and functional parameters compared to the TRA rehabilitation program. The TRA therapy group underwent six weeks of immobilization of the ankle joint with plaster cast followed by domiciliary rehabilitation program. The ACC group used a removable ortheses for immobilization and underwent passive and active exercises 15 days postsurgery. Total ankle active range of motion increased at 45 (p=0.014) and 90 (p=0.021) days postsurgery in the ACC compared to the TRA group. Muscle thickness and fascicle length were higher (p=0.001; p=0.016) in the ACC (13.23 mm, 50.30mm) compared to the TRA (11.18mm, 42.38mm) group 90 days postsurgery. Although no differences were observed between groups for all angular velocities 90 days postsurgery, plantarflexor relative (normalized per body mass) isokinetic torque decreased with increasing angular velocity in the TRA group (60°/s=77 Nm; 120°/s=57 Nm; 180°/s=45 Nm; p
