A 22 year old basketball player visited us 6 months after he had an ACL reconstruction surgery. His surgeon was happy with his progress and the strength of the reconstructed ligament, so he had declared him "Fit" to resume sporting activity.
The patient himself though, was not happy as he was not able to jog without pain. He was also unable to skip or hop which was a part of the functional training required for Basketball.
On examination, he had marked wasting of the quadriceps, hamstring & calf muscles & a girth difference of approximately 1inch compared to the normal. He had undergone a generalized rehab program after the surgery but was not able to progress. After a detailed testing, he was put on a progressive strengthening program, designed particularly for his needs.
He was kept under observation, and his program was reviewed and changed every 2-3 weeks. Four months into the new training program as per our prescription, he had gained muscle mass on the operated leg (more than that of the non-operated leg: as seen in the attached picture). He was pain free & had a full Range of Motion. He started playing basketball & hopefully will pursue his career as a basketball player.