EFFECTIVENESS OF PRACTICAL BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION TRAINING ON MUSCLE STRENGTH, PAIN AND PHYSICAL FUNCTIONALITY IN ACL RECONSTRUCTION REHABILITATION

Introduction: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries frequently cause knee instability, resulting in pain, muscular weakening, and functional restrictions. Traditionally, the postoperative rehabilitation procedures frequently need high-load resistance exercise, which is not always practicable during the initial recovery period. Practical Blood Flow Restriction (pBFR) training, which uses elastic bands to partially restrict blood flow, has developed as a cost-effective method for improving muscle strength and functional recovery. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of pBFR on muscle strength, pain, and physical functionality in patients after ACL reconstruction. Method: A comparative study was conducted on 46 patients who had undergone ACL reconstruction. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: Group A (control, n=23) performed standard resistance training using resistance bands, while Group B (pBFR, n=23) performed the similar exercise with the addition of pBFR using elastic bands. Both groups received the treatment twice per week for eight weeks. Outcome measures used were muscle strength (handheld dynamometer), pain (Numerical Pain Rating Scale), and functional scores (IKDC and Lysholm knee scores) and were assessed at the baseline, week 4, and week 8. Result: Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in muscle strength, pain reduction, and functional scores over the intervention period (p<0.001). However, Group B (pBFR) exhibited significantly greater improvements in all the outcome measures compared to the control group at 8 weeks. Improvement in muscle strength, functions and reduction of pain were significantly higher in the Group B. Conclusion: Practical Blood Flow Restriction training is an effective and accessible rehabilitation strategy following ACL reconstruction. Compared to conventional resistance training, pBFR significantly improves muscle strength, reduces pain, and improves knee functionality emphasizing its use in early rehabilitation phase.