Clinical Question:
Is it beneficial to add neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to a strengthening program after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery?
Clinical Bottom Line:
There is sufficient evidence to support the inclusion of NMES in a rehabilitation strengthening program post ACL reconstruction. All three included studies reported significant quadriceps strength gains (p < .05) in favor of the group that completed both NMES and strengthening exercises compared with a strength-only group. Two studies initiated NMES within 4 days of surgery. One study found significant quadriceps strength increases when NMES was implemented 6 months after surgery.