Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40220107›Full record

ReviewSports medicine - open2025

Criteria-Based Decision Making for Introducing Open Kinetic Chain Exercise after-ACL Reconstruction: A Scoping Review.

Florian Forelli, Jean Mazeas, Vasileios Korakakis, Haashim Ramtoola, Amaury Vandebrouck, Pascal Duffiet, Louis Ratte, Georgios Kakavas, Ismail Bouzekaroui Alaoui, Maurice Douryang and 3 more

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Sports medicine - open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
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

13 authors.

Florian ForelliHaute-Ecole Arc Santé, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Delémont, Switzerland. fforelli@capio.fr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8650-2746
Jean MazeasOrthopaedic Surgery Department, OrthoLab, Ramsay Healthcare, Clinic of Domont, Domont, France.
Vasileios KorakakisDepartment of Health Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Health Sciences, PhD in Physiotherapy Program, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Haashim RamtoolaOrthopaedic Surgery Department, OrthoLab, Ramsay Healthcare, Clinic of Domont, Domont, France.
Amaury VandebrouckOrthopaedic Surgery Department, OrthoLab, Ramsay Healthcare, Clinic of Domont, Domont, France.
Pascal DuffietOrthopaedic Surgery Department, OrthoLab, Ramsay Healthcare, Clinic of Domont, Domont, France.
Louis RatteOrthopaedic Surgery Department, OrthoLab, Ramsay Healthcare, Clinic of Domont, Domont, France.
Georgios KakavasFysiotek Spine & Sports Lab, Athens, Greece.
Ismail Bouzekaroui AlaouiMohammed VI Center for Research and Innovation, Rabat, Morocco.
Maurice DouryangDepartment of Physiotherapy and Physical Medicine, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon.
Andreas BjerregaardPhysiotherapy Department, University of Southern, Odense, Denmark.
Jérôme RieraInter- university Laboratory of Human Movement Biology, University Jean Monnet Saint-Etienne, University Savoie Mont-Blanc, Lyon 1, Saint-Etienne, 7424, F-42023, EA, France.
Alexandre J M RambaudSFMK Lab, Pierrefite sur seine, France.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAfter an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), mounting evidence suggests that open kinetic chain (OKC) strengthening is safe, reduces the risk of anterior knee pain, and significantly improves the quadriceps strength. However, clinicians are reluctant to use OKC knee strengthening exercises mainly due to the strong beliefs that they might increase graft laxity. The objective of this scoping review is to identify the key criteria employed in the scientific literature for the safe introduction of OKC quadriceps strengthening following ACLR.

methodsA scoping review of the literature was conducted on the online databases MEDLINE (PubMed), ScienceDirect, Embase and CINAHL Library online. Data regarding time-based criteria and/or clinical based criteria allowing OKC exercises introduction following ACLR were searched for. Only studies involving patients who performed quadriceps strengthening using any type of OKC exercises were included, regardless of the type, resistance location, load magnitude, type of muscle contraction, knee range of motion, or duration of the strengthening protocol.

resultsTwenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-one employed time-based criteria for the introduction of OKC exercise. The median time from when OKC was permitted was 15 postoperative days (range 1-270 days), while the mean time was 31.6 ± 56.7 postoperative days. In 30.7% of the studies additional clinical examination components were used. These components included range of motion (0-100°), numeric pain scale score < 2 or 3, absence of joint effusion (assess by the stroke test), full knee active extension (assess by the straight leg raise), and walking without crutches for the decision-making regarding OKC exercise introduction.

conclusionLess than one study in 3 reported clinical criteria for the introduction of OKC exercise. This highlights the absence of consensus among surgeons and physiotherapists, thereby hindering their ability to make informed decisions based on scientific evidence. Although the use of OKC exercise appears to be safe, precautions to maintain the integrity of the surgical repair need to be implemented. The establishment of valid criteria is crucial to support evidence-based decision-making.

Indexed as

Anterior Cruciate Ligament ReconstructionOpen Kinetic ChainQuadriceps StrengtheningRehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID40220107
PMCPMC11993518

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.