Effects of a Sensorimotor Training on Neuromuscular Control following ACL Reconstruction

Background A rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a common injury with a high risk of secondary rupture. Despite the completion of rehabilitation and clearance for a full return to sport, sensorimotor alterations have been observed to persist during different activities, even years after ACL reconstruction. Current rehabilitation schemes do not seem to fully restore those alterations.

Objectives The objective is to assess whether a specific sensorimotor training can alter sensorimotor deficits in persons after ACL reconstruction.

Design Randomized controlled trial protocol.

Methods 50 participants will be randomly assigned to an intervention or a control or a group. The intervention consists of 16 training sessions with two sessions per week in a one-to-one-setting with a trained physiotherapist. It is based on the current evidence regarding sensorimotor training and incorporates the principles of motor learning, aiming to enhance the utilization of unconscious movement. Neuromuscular control will be examined during single leg stance, artificial tibia translation and single leg jumps and quantified with recordings of the neuromuscular and electrical cortical activity as well as time to stabilization. The baseline measurement will be conducted 9 to 10 months after ACL reconstruction, with the follow-up measurement scheduled eight weeks later.

Discussion The study will aim to address the knowledge gap on the sensorimotor effects of a specifically targeted rehabilitation program to optimize current rehabilitation schemes. We hypothesize that, following an ACL reconstruction, individuals in the intervention group will demonstrate neuromuscular control more similar to that of healthy individuals compared to those in the control group without specific sensorimotor training.

Publication History

Article published online:
23 October 2025