THE EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON THE REHABILITATION OF KNEE LIGAMENT INJURIES IN ATHLETES

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of exercise on the rehabilitation of knee ligament injuries in athletes and to identify what the injured athletes consider as the most effective treatment concerning their rehabilitation, through the administration of a reported condition inquiry. Two hundred ninety six healthy subjects, 22,59+6,31 years old, participated in the research. All the subjects were active or former athletes, competed or had competed in athletic clubs throughout Greece, in various team sports or individual sports and competing categories and had suffered a knee ligament injury in their career as athletes. The effects of exercise on the rehabilitation of knee ligament injuries were measured through a scale of measurements. For data analysis was used the descriptive analysis of the SPSS version 20 for Windows. Data processing showed that the highest percentage of the knee injuries (43,80%) concerns anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, 34,40% partial or total meniscus rupture, 15,60% ligament injuries and 6,20% medial collateral ligament (MCL) or lateral collateral ligament (LCL) rupture. More than half of the knee injuries (53,10%), namely ruptures of ACL (76,50%), the partial-total rupture of meniscus (17,60%), and the patella dislocations and partial ruptures of MCL and LCL (5,90%), were treated surgically, combined with abstaining from training and matches, medication, bandage usage, immobilization with plaster-brace, medical examinations, physiotherapies, and special therapeutic exercise. The rest of the cases of the knee injuries (46,90%), namely all the cases of ligament over-voltages, ¾ of the meniscus ruptures, half of the patella dislocations and partial ruptures of MCL and LCL, as well as 1,25% of ACL rupture, were treated conservatively, with different combinations of  physiotherapies, special therapeutic exercises, abstention from training and games, medication, bandage usage, immobilization with plaster-brace, further medical examinations. In addition, almost all the injured athletes (except a 6,20%) did a combination of exercise modes for the rehabilitation of their knee ligament injury. More specifically, 18,80% did exercises with straps, resistance bands, weightbearing and isokinetic machine. In addition, 15,60% did exercises with straps, resistance bands, weightbearing, exercises in the water and isokinetic machine and the same percentage (15,60%) did exercises with straps, resistance bands, weightbearing and exercises in the water. 12,50% did exercises with resistance bands and weightbearing, 9,40% did exercises with resistance bands and in smaller percentages the athletes did exercises in the water and gaiting (6,20%), exercises with straps, resistance bands and weightbearing (6,20%), exercises with straps and resistance bands (3,10%), exercises with isokinetic machine and exercises in the water (3,10%), as well as exercises with resistance bands, exercises in the water and in the isokinetic machine (3,10%). In addition, 93,80% of the athletes stated that their knee ligament injury is completely or partially restored. Concerning the athletes’ opinions,  43,80% consider that the most effective treatment for the rehabilitation of their knee ligament injury was strengthening with weightbearing and resistance bands. Likewise, 35,30% of the athletes who underwent surgery consider strengthening mainly by weightbearing and resistance bands as the most effective treatment for the rehabilitation of their injury. In conclusion, according to the opinions of the athletes, who treated their knee ligament injury both non-operatively and operatively, the most effective treatment for the rehabilitation of the knee ligament injury was exercise in the mode of weightbearing and resistance bands. Thus, it could be said that exercise brings about significant positive effects on the rehabilitation of the knee ligament injury. Consequently, exercise should be an integral part of the knee ligament injury rehabilitation and prevention.