Effects of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction on patellofemoral joint stress and lower extremity biomechanics at 12 weeks post-surgery and at time of return to sport in adolescent females.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine kinematic and kinetic differences associated with patellofemoral pain after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction between limbs at 12-week post-surgery and at time of return to sport.

Method: Twenty-four adolescent females completed 5 consecutive single leg squats on each limb at 12-weeks post-surgery and again during their RTS assessment. Peak knee extension moment, peak hip adduction angle, and patellofemoral joint stress at 45 degrees of knee flexion were calculated.

Peripheral joint cooling increases spinal reflex excitability and serum norepinephrine.

To understand better how reflex excitability is altered with peripheral joint cooling, the authors set out to determine whether a cryotherapy treatment applied to the ankle would increase plasma norepinephrine and result in a heightened H:M ratio. Twenty-two adults were admitted to the hospital on two occasions. During one admission, subjects had ice applied to their ankle and in the other admission a bag of room temperature marbles was applied.