Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35130790›Full record

SynthesisSports health

Effects of Blood Flow Restriction Training on Clinical Outcomes for Patients With ACL Reconstruction: A Systematic Review.

Mark Colapietro, Brandon Portnoff, Sayers John Miller, Wayne Sebastianelli, Giampietro L Vairo

Registry-linked trialOpen access · greenAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Sports health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06943079 (Effects of Hold-relax Technique With or Without Blood Flow Restriction on Pain, Range of Motion and Functional Disability in Patients With Post Operative ACL Rehabilitation.), which is not on this map. Cited by 13 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
4.8field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06943079 nacompletednot on this map

Effects of Hold-relax Technique With or Without Blood Flow Restriction on Pain, Range of Motion and Functional Disability in Patients With Post Operative ACL Rehabilitation.

TypeinterventionalSponsorRiphah International UniversityRan2024 to 2025Enrolled48ConditionsSports Physical TherapyArmsEffect of Hold Relax technique with Blood Flow Restriction technique on functional outcome, Effect of Hold Relax technique without Blood Flow Restriction technique on functional outcomes
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Pooled it
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Evaluation of blood flow restriction combined with routine rehabilitation in incomplete thoracic and lumbar spinal cord injury after decompression: a retrospective study.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Mark ColapietroDepartment of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.
Brandon PortnoffThe Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Sayers John MillerDepartment of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.
Wayne SebastianelliPenn State Hershey Bone and Joint Institute, State College, Pennsylvania.
Giampietro L VairoDepartment of Kinesiology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania.ORCID 0000-0002-7575-5016
Pennsylvania State University · USPenn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextKnee muscle atrophy and weakness are common impairments after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Blood flow restriction (BFR) training represents a new approach to treat such impairments. However, limited evidence currently exists to support this intervention in related patients.

objectiveTo appraise literature comparing the effects of BFR training with conventional therapy on knee muscle morphological and strength properties in ACL-reconstructed patients. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register databases were searched for relevant articles from January 1991 through April 2021. STUDY SELECTION: Articles were minimum Level 3 evidence focusing on knee muscle morphologic as well as extensor and flexor strength outcomes in ACL-reconstructed patients of all graft types. STUDY

designSystematic review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2. DATA EXTRACTION: Critical appraisal instruments (Downs and Black checklist, Cochrane Collaboration tool, ROBINS-1 tool) were used to evaluate study quality. We independently calculated effect sizes (ESs) (Cohen

resultsSix articles (4 randomized control studies, 1 nonrandomized study, and 1 case-control study) met inclusion criteria. Exercises paired with BFR training included open kinetic chain, closed kinetic chain, and passive applications. Diverse assessments and time of intervention were observed across studies. ESs ranged from trivial to large in favor of BFR training for muscle morphological (

conclusionAt this time, grade B or inconsistent and limited-quality patient-oriented evidence exists to support using BFR training to improve or maintain thigh muscle size as well as knee extensor and flexor strength in ACL-reconstructed patients. ESs indicated no consistent clinically meaningful differences when compared with conventional therapy. Subsequent analyses should be repeated as new evidence emerges to update practice guidelines.

Indexed as

Anterior Cruciate Ligament InjuriesBlood Flow Restriction TherapyCase-Control StudiesExercise TherapyHumansMuscle, SkeletalMuscle StrengthACL reconstructionblood flow restriction trainingrehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID35130790
PMCPMC9950988
OpenAlexW4210827382

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.