Spectroscopic Measurements in Patients with Completely Ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament before and after RegentK and Physiotherapy

Background: The goal of this study was to investigate acute effects of a special kind of manual therapy developed by Mohamed Khalifa (RegentK) compared to standard physiotherapy on regional oxygen saturation (rSO2) of knee tissues in patients with completely ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Methods: Twenty patients were enrolled in this study and randomly assigned to receive either RegentK (group A; n = 10, 8 female, 2 male, mean age ± SD 31.3 ± 8.5 years) or physiotherapy (group B; n = 10, 6 female, 4 male, mean age 34.8 ± 10.2 years). The values of rSO2, assessed using near-infrared spectroscopy, were registered anterolaterally and anteromedially on both the injured and the healthy (control) knee. Results: rSO2 increased significantly (p < 0.001) after RegentK on both registration sites of the injured knee, whereas after physiotherapy only the anterolateral side showed significant increases. Interestingly, we found significant increases in rSO2 also on the control knee after RegentK; in group B, these results were insignificant. Conclusion: We conclude that manual therapy influences the hemodynamics of muscles and deeper structures. The results will also serve to quantify the effects of nonpharmacological and nonsurgical interventions (e.g. RegentK) on the microvascular circulation in deep tissue after a complete rupture of the ACL.