Comparison of effectiveness of the addition of neuromuscular electrical stimulation of quadriceps muscle to standard rehabilitation protocol of ACL reconstruction

Background: Weak quadriceps after ACL reconstruction (ACLR) may derail patients’ return to sport or regular physical activity levels. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) activates muscles in precise sequence and magnitude to directly accomplish functional tasks. This prospective comparative study compared the outcomes of rehabilitation post-ACLR with and without NMES.Methods: A total of 70 post-ACLR patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 received the standard rehabilitation protocol, and Group 2 received additional NMES therapy twice weekly for 6 weeks. Patients were evaluated for Thigh circumference, Quadriceps Strength, and Single and Triple leg hop.  Results: The thigh girth in the NMES groups showed a consistent increase throughout the follow-up period, whereas in the control group, it showed an initial dip and later improved. The diff erence was signifi cant at 3 and 6 weeks follow-up (p < .001). The two groups had no signifi cant diff erence in Quadriceps strength at 6 months (p = .545). At 6 months, the single leg hop, triple leg hop, Lysholm score, IKDC score, and KT readings gave comparable results between the control and NMES groups.Conclusions: The addition of NMES in post-ACLR rehabilitation better restored the quadriceps muscle mass in the early phase but gave comparable results at 6 months in terms of quadriceps strength and functional scores.