Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Preoperative Physiotherapy Using the Lysholm-Gillquist Scale in Patients Qualified for Surgical Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction - Pilot Study.

Recent years have seen a noticeable increase in the number of people experiencing total damage to the anterior cruciate ligament in the knee joint. The causes are many, but increased sporting activity among people who generally lead a hypokinetic lifestyle is regarded as the most important factor. Researchers are seeking to optimize the surgical treatment and rehabilitation.To evaluate the effectiveness of preoperative physiotherapy according to the Lysholm and Gillquist scale in patients scheduled for arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.The study involved a random sample of 30 patients with confirmed complete rupture of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) qualified for surgical ACL reconstruction. Within this group, an experimental group consisted of 15 patients (mean age 41.0 ± 7 years) who attended physiotherapy before surgery based on recognized therapeutic models. A control group consisted of 15 patients (mean age 39.0 ± 9 years). The Lysholm and Gillquist 100-point scale was used for assessment. Student's t test, the Mann-Whitney U test and the Wilcoxon test were used for statistical analysis. The level of statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.The operated knee improved functionally in both the experimental and control group. In the experimental group, the difference was 20 points and was statistically significant at p = 0.000. In the control group, the difference was 6 points, which was also within the limit of statistical significance at p = 0.002.1. Patients with total ACL rupture attending a pre-operative rehabilitation program led by a physiotherapist (experimental group) achieved greater improvement in functional status compared with the control group. 2. These results indicate a need to analyze the impact ofpreoperative rehabilitation on the final outcome of patients after complete ACL rupture.