Exercise Rehabilitation after ACL Repair: How Long?

For athletes with pain and functional impairment persisting beyond the usual 9-month rehabilitation period after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair, the benefits of further supervised exercise are unclear. Researchers in Australia identified 184 young adults with persistent knee pain and functional impairment 9 to 36 months after ACL repair. They assigned the patients at random to either physical therapist–supervised strength and neuromuscular exercise sessions twice weekly for 4 months, followed by unsupervised sessions through 12 months, or a single educational (control) session from a physical therapist that encouraged exercise.