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CLINICAL TRIAL article
Front. Rehabil. Sci.
Sec. Rehabilitation for Musculoskeletal Conditions
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fresc.2025.1501703
SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF PERCUTANEOUS ELECTRICAL NERVE STIMULATION ON PAIN AND MUSCLE FUNCTION ON ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT SURGERY PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL
Provisionally accepted
Julio Caballero López1,2
Marcos Jose Navarro Santana3,4
Jaime Almazán Polo1*
Fernando García Sanz2
María José Díaz Arribas3,4Francisco Minaya Muñoz5
Carlos Romero Morales1- 1European University of Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
- 2Clinica CEMTRO, 28034 Madrid, Spain., Madrid, Asturias, Spain
- 3Faculty of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Podiatry, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- 4Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- 5MVClinic Institute, 28600 Madrid, Spain, Madrid, Asturias, Spain
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Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery is associated with the presence of anterior knee pain and knee extension weakness. Percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS) is a minimally invasive technique with the objective of neuromodulating the symptoms derived from the intervention. The objective of the study is to analyze the short-term effect of the use of the PENS technique in patients undergoing ACL surgery.Materials and Methods: A randomized clinical trial was carried out at the CEMTRO clinic in Madrid with 70 participants (N = 70) where the effect of the PES intervention in combination with a rehabilitation program (n = 35) was compared against a control group of rehabilitation (n = 35). The study analyzed changes in pain intensity, pressure pain threshold (PPT) of the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, quadriceps and patellar tendons, isometric knee extension strength and range of motion of the knee. knee.Results: Differences were determined in the PENS group compared to the rehabilitation group immediately after the first intervention in the reduction of pain intensity through the VAS scale and in knee extension isometric strength (p < 0.05). Both groups showed differences after 12 weeks in the range of motion of the knee in knee flexion and extension, as well as in the PPT of the patellar tendon.Conclusion: The PENS intervention combined with a rehabilitation program compared to an isolated rehabilitation program showed a short-term reduction in pain intensity and an increase in isometric strength in knee extension in patients undergoing ACL surgery.
Keywords: ACL Rehabilitation, precutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, US guided intervention, ACL surgery, ACL function
Received: 30 Sep 2024; Accepted: 14 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Caballero López, Navarro Santana, Almazán Polo, García Sanz, Díaz Arribas, Minaya Muñoz and Romero Morales. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jaime Almazán Polo, European University of Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
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