2019 OTA Annual Meeting: Brace-Free Rehabilitation After Isolated Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Hamstring Tendon Autograft Is Not Inferior To Brace-Based Rehabilitation - A Randomised Controlled Trial

114 patients with primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture were randomized to receive either knee brace rehabilitation (n=58) or no brace rehabilitation (n=56) following isolated ACLR using a hamstring (HT) autograft. The primary outcome of interest was the subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score. Secondary outcomes included objective knee function assessed by IKDC, instrumented knee laxity measurements (KLT), isokinetic strength tests of knee extensors and flexors, Lysholm Knee Score, Tegner Activity Score, Anterior Cruciate Ligament—Return to Sport after Injury Score (ACL-RSI), and quality of life determined by Short Form-36 (SF36). Outcomes were assessed preoperatively, and at 6 weeks, 4, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Overall, the results of the study revealed no statistically significant or clinically meaningful differences in primary and secondary outcomes between the brace-free and brace-based groups. This suggests that brace-free rehabilitation is non-inferior to brace-based rehabilitation for physical recovery one year after isolated ACLR using HT autograft.