Abstract des Autors

A 67-year-old male underwent bilateral total knee replacement surgery and was subsequently placed on a bilateral isokinetic knee rehabilitation program. Isokinetic knee testing was performed on unilateral dominant (UD; right) and nondominant (UND; left) limbs as well as bilateral limbs (BLs) before and after a three-times-per-week, 8-week protocol during which the patient followed a bilateral isokinetic velocity spectrum (60 to 300 deg/s) rehabilitation program. The protocol was made possible by the introduction of a new bilateral isokinetic knee attachment developed by the authors. The BL extension and flexion peak torque increased 41% and 51% at 60 deg/s, respectively. The UD and UND extension peak torque increased 68% and 52%, respectively. The bilateral deficit decreased with increasing velocity for both extension and flexion. These results demonstrate that a bilateral isokinetic approach to rehabilitation may be a legitimate technique to increase knee extension and flexion peak torque both unilaterally and bilaterally following bilateral total knee replacement surgery. Verf.-Referat