Mental Imagery of Open and Closed Chain Exercises to Improve Quadriceps Strength Post Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: a Feasibility Study
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Marquette University
- Enrollment
- 20
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Feasibility of Intervention
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to understand if people recovering from anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) surgery will complete mental imagery training and if this will improve their injured leg's strength. The main questions are:
- Will people complete a five-day mental imagery exercise schedule while in physical therapy for ACLR?
- Does mental imagery exercise help raise leg strength during ACLR recovery? Researchers will also compare if different mental imagery exercises involving leg extension or squats will change leg strength.
Participants will be asked to:
- Participate in two testing sessions to make measurements of leg function
- Complete about 10 minutes of mental imagery exercises once per day for five days at home and write down whether they complete the exercises.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Other
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- •post anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) surgery
- •cleared to participate in physical therapy
- •currently in physical therapy related to ACLR
Exclusion Criteria
- •greater than 9 months post ACLR surgery
- •history of lower back of hip pain that would limit lower limb motor testing
- •current neurological condition that limits muscle strength
- •history of substance abuse in the last 5 years
- •any uncontrolled medical condition
- •inability to follow 2-step commands
Arms & Interventions
Mental Imagery Open Chain
Participants will receive a paper packet with instructions to imagine themselves performing seated maximal leg extension exercises. They will be instructed to imagine the feeling of the exercise for 5 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, and repeat this 50 times with a 2-minute rest period after the 25th repetition. They will also be asked to keep track of the exercises with tallies on a table within the packet and also to record on this table if they did not complete the exercises for that day. The participant is asked to perform the exercises on five consecutive days.
Intervention: Mental Imagery Open Chain (Behavioral)
Mental Imagery Closed Chain
Participants will receive a paper packet with instructions to imagine themselves performing maximal standing squat exercises. They will be instructed to imagine the feeling of the exercise for 5 seconds, rest for 5 seconds, and repeat this 50 times with a 2-minute rest period after the 25th repetition. They will also be asked to keep track of the exercises with tallies on a table within the packet and also to record on this table if they did not complete the exercises for that day. The participant is asked to perform the exercises on five consecutive days.
Intervention: Mental Imagery Closed Chain (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Feasibility of Intervention
Time Frame: Once per day for 5 days
At the end of the paper packet with instructions for mental imagery exercises, there will be a survey in which participants will record whether or not they have completed the exercises. They will be instructed to fill out this form each day even if they have not done the exercise. Investigators will assess how many days participants complete the exercises.
Secondary Outcomes
- Knee Extension Strength(Pre and post 5 days of mental imagery intervention)