988368

Mendeley  

Zotero  

Ali Z A S, AL-Obeidi A H, Mohammed A A. Multimodal Rehabilitation With Ozone and Ultrasound for Partial ACL Tears in Basketball Players. Iranian Rehabilitation Journal 2026; 24 (1) :123-132
URL: http://irj.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-2639-fa.html

Objectives: The main goal of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a 12-week multimodal rehabilitation program consisting of ozone (O₃) bagging, and pulsed ultrasound therapy, along with progressive strength training, on key parameters like muscle strength, knee range of motion (ROM), and pain sensitivity in a group of male basketball players suffering from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-verified partial anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears.
Methods: The research design employed a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test study that involved a single group. A total of 10 male basketball players (mean age: 24.3±2.8 years) suffering from isolated partial ACL tears (duration of injury: 4–8 weeks) participated in a 12-week intervention, including 36 sessions (3 sessions/week). The intervention integrated O₃ therapy (30 µg/mL for 15 min via bagging), pulsed ultrasound (1.5 W/cm², 1 MHz, 5 m), and a 4-phase progressive exercise protocol. The primary outcomes comprised quadriceps strength (handheld dynamometer), active knee ROM (goniometer), and pressure pain threshold (PPT; Wagner FPX25 algometer). The circumferences of the knee were measured as secondary outcomes. The differences between the 2 time points of each subject were evaluated by applying the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with a significance level set at 0.05.
Results: The findings showed that all primary and secondary measures had significantly improved (P=0.005) along with the large effect sizes (r=0.89). The strength of the quadriceps grew by 189% (from 20.3±3.77 kg to 58.66±9.88 kg). The flexion movement of the knee was better than the start (from 118.4° to 132.4°); the extension was reduced from 11.1° to 2.2°, and the rotational mobility improved (the internal: was 7.5° to 15.4°; the external: was 20.3° to 35.8°). The increase in the PPT was 143% (from 18.9±3.14 N to 46±8.08 N), additionally, the knee circumference was reduced by 3.7 cm (from 42.6±2.17 cm to 38.9±1.45 cm). 
Discussion: The rehabilitation program over 12 weeks that included O₃ and ultrasound has not only statistically but also significantly enhanced the condition of basketball players suffering from partial ACL tears in the areas of strength, ROM, sensitivity to pain and swelling.