Study Summary

Fifty-seven patients undergoing proximal hamstring tendon avulsion repair were randomized to receive conservative rehabilitation with bracing and partial weight-bearing or accelerated rehabilitation without bracing and full weight-bearing as tolerated. The primary outcome of interest was peak isokinetic knee flexor torque at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included hop test performance (single, triple, triple crossover hop), Perth Hamstring Assessment Tool (PHAT), Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), Short Form Survey Physical Component Score (SF-12), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain scores, Tegner activity scale, patient satisfaction, complications, and re-rupture rates. Outcomes were assessed pre-operatively and at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months post-operatively. Overall, the results of the study revealed significant improvements in patient-reported outcomes over time in both groups with no significant differences between rehabilitation protocols in strength, function, satisfaction, or complication rates. These findings suggest accelerated rehabilitation without bracing is safe and provides comparable clinical outcomes to conservative rehabilitation following proximal hamstring repair.