Apr 5, 2019
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/iFJN2LvoWjA
The knee takes a beating in many athletic contests, and anterior cruciate ligament repair is a frequent operative event in the world of sports medicine. During recovery, though, there tends to be a loss of muscle mass and bone density despite good rehabilitation therapy.
Orthopedic surgeons at Houston’s Methodist Hospital report to the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine that precise and cyclic limitation of blood flow to the healing limbs during postoperative rehabilitation exercises reduced if not eliminated the loss of both muscle and bone mass. An automated tourniquet was used to reduce the blood flow by about 80% on an intermittent basis.
Researchers across the country and around the world are now studying this phenomenon to better understand the underlying reasons for the benefit. If you are contemplating an ACL repair, ask your orthopod about this tourniquet technique.
American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. "Blood flow restriction therapy may protect against bone loss following ACL reconstruction." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 16 March 2019. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190316162205.htm.
#ACL #anteriorcruciateligament #sportsmedicine #musclewasting #osteoporosis