We evaluated three methods of strengthening the muscles of the lower leg in patients who had surgical reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament using an autogenous graft. Thirty-one patients met the study criteria of having a 15% or greater mean torque deficit in a muscle group of the involved leg compared with the same muscle group in the uninvolved leg, when tested on the Musculoskeletal Evaluation Rehabilitation and Conditioning System (MERAC, Universal Corporation, Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Patients were divided into three groups: open-kinetic chain MERAC, closed-kinetic chain Fitnet (Universal Corporation, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) leg press, and functional exercise. Functional testing, open kinetic chain isokinetic testing and closed kinetic chain isokinetic testing were performed on all three groups pre- and post-training. A significant improvement in performance was found for all the groups over time on the MERAC, the Fitnet, and the functional tests. These results indicate that strengthening the muscles of the lower leg and improving function may be less dependent on the type of kinetic chain exercise, than on the muscle groups that are trained. The accommodating preset resistance and no restriction on the speed of movement during the exercise also may play a significant role in the development of strength and function.

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