Browsing by Author "Topiwala, Dave"

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    BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION TRAINING FOR PERSISTENT KNEE EXTENSOR WEAKNESS
    (2023-04-20) Scott, Wayne; Michaud-Gardner, Alyssa; Sylvia, Jack; Topiwala, Dave
    This case study presents the effects of 8 weeks of blood flow restriction training (BFRT) for persistent knee extensor weakness following a long standing repaired ACL injury. A 20 year old female with no history of knee injury prior to the initial ACL tear in 2020 received a patellar bone graft 6 months later. The patient received traditional physical therapy for 6 weeks, which was inconsistent due to COVID-19 interruptions. The participant presented with an antalgic gait and difficulty performing stairs as a result of persistent knee extensor muscle weakness. The participant's knee extensor strength was tested using a Biodex force dynamometer. Initial testing demonstrated that the involved side knee extensors could only produce 68.7% of the muscle torque of the uninvolved side knee extensors. The participant underwent BFRT at a frequency of 2 sessions per week for a total of 8 weeks. The participant performed unilateral knee extensions, step ups, and leg presses for sets of 30, 15, 15 and 15 reps. Blood flow was restricted with a tourniquet inflated to 80% of the pressure which caused full arterial blood flow occlusion for the duration of each exercise with 2 minutes of cuff deflation between exercises. Following 8 weeks of training, the participant’s knee extensors on the involved side were able to produce 82.9% of the muscle torque of the uninvolved side knee extensors. In this case, BFRT demonstrated the ability to improve persistent knee extensor weakness following ACL repair. This improvement in strength was maintained at 3 and 6 month follow up testing. Significantly, the patient’s antalgic gait and difficulty performing stairs resolved during the 8 weeks of training.