Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFR) in an Adolescent Population
Blood Flow Restriction, ACL Tear, ACL Injury
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Blood Flow Restriction focused on measuring physical therapy, rehabilitation
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients between the age of 12 and 18 years at the time of surgery.
- Post-primary ACL reconstruction
- Orthopaedic surgical intervention (including all additional procedures at the knee) completed by one of the Elite Sports Medicine physicians.
- Patient completed postoperative rehabilitation following standard protocols
- No contraindications to performing BFR, as outlined in the Owens Recovery[18] Science 2018 Personal Blood Flow Restriction manual.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients older than 18 and younger than 12 at the time of surgery
- Any additional diagnoses or deformity not related to knee injury that could affect knee strength
- Additional lower extremity injury at time of knee injury (e.g., ankle injury) requiring treatment
- Previous surgical intervention on the knee (ipsilateral and contralateral)
- Patients with weight bearing restrictions for greater than two weeks after surgery due to concomitant pathology such as meniscal root/radial repair, chondral pathology, or multi-ligament pathology. . Generic exclusion: "Subjects not meeting all inclusion criteria."
Sites / Locations
- Connecticut Children's Sports Physical Therapy
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
No Intervention
BFR Exercise Group
Non-BFR exercise group
In addition to the standard ACL protocol, patients in this study will utilize the Owen Recovery Science exercise protocol for BFR [18]. The following guidelines will be followed concerning exercise progression, occlusion pressure and difficulties with volume achievement. A total of 20 youth and adolescent patients undergoing a surgical procedure for ACL reconstruction at Connecticut Children's Elite Sports Medicine and completing physical therapy at Connecticut Children's Sports Physical Therapy will be recruited for this study.
As part of this pilot study, the investigators will additionally collect prospective controls. This population will be patients not participating in physical therapy at Connecticut Children's but underwent ACL reconstruction by Elite Sports Medicine