Influence of ice pack treatment after reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament injury caused by military training

Li Xiang; Wang Bin; Bai Qing

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1009-4237.2025.02.003

Abstract：Objective To observe the rehabilitation effect of ice pack treatment after reconstruction of mili-tary training-related anterior cruciate ligament(ACL)injury.Methods A total of 98 ACL injury patients following military training admitted to PLA General Hospital from Apr.2021 to Dec.2023 were prospectively selected.Pa-tients were divided into control group and observation group by random number table,with 49 cases in each group.All the patients received ACL reconstruction.Following surgery,those in the control group received routine treatment while those in the observation group received additional homemade ice packs treatment(30 min once a day for 7 days).In the control group,there were 31 males and 18 females aged 19-32(mean 21.6)years.The interval between injury and surgery was 3-6(mean 4.9)weeks.The left side was affected in 28 cases and the right in 21 cases.In the observation group,there were 33 males and 16 females aged 18-31(mean 23.0)years.The interval between injury and surgery was 3-6(mean 4.8)weeks.The left side was affected in 30 cases and the right in 19 cases.The two groups were compared for excellent and good rate(based on Jiang and Wang's criteria for orthopedic clinic effect evaluation),VAS,swelling degree,and joint mobility.Results The two groups were comparable in terms of general data,VAS,swelling degree,and joint mobility.The excellent and good rate was 91.8%in the obser-vation group,much higher than 69.4%in the control group(P<0.05).At 12,24 and 48 h after treatment,the VAS of the observation group were 3.4±0.6,2.5±0.8,and 1.8±0.4,significantly lower than those of the control group at corresponding time points(4.1±0.7,3.0±0.5,and 2.3±0.4,all P<0.05).The swelling degree(cm)was also milder in the observation group on postoperative day 1(4.4±0.3 vs.5.6±0.4),day 2(3.6±0.5 vs.4.3±0.7),and day 3(2.5±0.4 vs.3.2±0.5),all P<0.05.The joint mobility of the observation group was 82.2°±7.4°,90.9°±8.5°,and 97.8°±7.2° at 3,5,and 7 days after surgery,much larger than those of the control group(71.5°±6.5°,79.5°±7.6°,and 89.2°±8.2°,all P<0.05 compared with data at the same time point).Conclusion Appli-cation of ice pack treatment after reconstruction surgery for military training-related ACL injuries can significantly re-duce pain and swelling,and improve joint mobility and excellent and good rate.