Why You SHOULD Do Leg Extensions After ACL Reconstruction

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Have you had an ACL Reconstruction?
In this video, I explain why you should be doing leg extensions immediately after surgery, why leg extensions are safe despite popular belief, and provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to perform and program them.
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0:00 Intro
0:17 Why You Should Be Doing Leg Extensions After ACL Reconstruction
3:44 Why Leg Extensions Are Safe After ACL Reconstruction
5:11 How To Implement Leg Extensions After ACL Reconstruction
8:05 Practical Application of Leg Extensions After ACL Reconstruction
11:06 Summary
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Disclaimer: The information presented is not intended as medical advice or to be a substitute for medical counseling but is intended for entertainment purposes only. If you are experiencing pain, please seek the appropriate healthcare professional.

[@E3Rehab]

Thank you so much for watching! Check out the blog for all references! e3rehab.com/blog/leg-extensions-after-acl-reconstruction/

[@OrangeDude7]

How long should you be at full extension for in leg extensions?

[@user-pn2fn9ed2x]

Your videos are invaluable in my Acl recovery. Thank-you so much!

[@kylecontreras8741]

As always, absolutely love the video guys thank you for this very valuable information!

[@hiszpanszkainkwizycja7230]

Hi, as a PT student i just want to thank you for all of free information in videos :).

[@chrislords_dpt]

Great video. Your recommendations are literally exactly how I treat post op ACL. The effectiveness is apparent when you see the difference in quad hypertrophy in patients that do LAQ and those that don’t.

[@taylormedlin3011]

This is an amazing video and research! Thank you!

[@Abolfazliii]

Thank you so much for this fantastic and helpful video.♡

[@Raidenorius]

Great job, as always

[@abhimanyugupta532]

Thank you! One year post operation i think i will slowly ramp up on leg extension.

[@jonnyardan8446]

It makes perfect sense. Thanks.

[@joe94c]

Fascinating. I was one of those people who had a tear later on after the first acl tear. I wish i had trained how I'm training now. This included leg extensions

[@josefernando1375]

Buena información, thanks!

[@Aslan_1993]

incredibly detailed and well explained. Every ACLr should be doing leg extensions and isometrics.

[@chory1827]

Yes but not so fast. Otherwise you may damage your grapht. You need to walk your way up slowly. It also depends on how strong were your muscles before surgery. Mine were weak and I could not do open chain excercises fast neither isometrics.

[@sharlah4057]

Thank you for this! I am close to 6 weeks post op and I haven't been prescribed leg extensions but I have been told to do some squatting. I actually find holding good technique for squats quite difficult but I think doing leg extensions on a machine with fully adjustable resistance will be more scaleable and will assist me to develop good squatting technique. Very helpful!

[@chory1827]

Im 7 months in right now. What worked wonders for me was leg press machine where I could use only 1 leg. So one training for both legs and 1 for only 1 leg during the week to regain balance. I was doing so many different excercises on different stages its hard to remember them all but these one leg knee leg presses where a milestone for me. Remember to add cycling as soon as you can and elliptical trainer after around 3 months. After 3 months I started doing leg extenstion isometrics and after 5 months I started doing leg extensions with weight which was another milestone for me. Im almost walking normally right now without any weird feeling from the knee. Leg extensions are very important but they can also damage your grapht if not done properly, too much weight etc. So you need to work your way up slowly, the video above takes 0 responsibility for your grapht stretch.

[@Addy_Favor]

More of ACL video please 😉🔥

[@scramjet7466]

i had painful knees and i did tonnes of leg extensions to fix them. i would put on 1 or 2 plates and do 30 or so reps and several sets. the more your legs burn, it signals your body to repair.

[@mycophenolatmophetil]

Do you think knee pain is going to go away with the leg extension maschine. I had my acl reconstructed and My other knee is so painful right now from compensating

[@scramjet7466]

@@mycophenolatmophetil I had success from doing high volume and low resistance leg extensions.

[@chory1827]

@@mycophenolatmophetil Pain is the healthy knee is usually connected with not putting enough attention to stretching. Stretch all muscles including calves. Also try to mobilize your kneecap. If you still have pain PT will help. In the operated knee on the other hand is usually scar tissue that is blocking some movements, sometimes a cyst like I had. As collegue over has said, try to do high volume low weight. Also try to do deep squats with no weight when you stretch. It helps with regaining good motion.

[@edwardgbergersen]

Great video

[@romanbogli9271]

Thank you for your great summary about OKC by ACL. When do you start with OKC by patients with ACL and meniscus suture?

[@rastislavkrul1664]

Fully agree with this approach 👍 After my ACL I have been doing various excersises, even squats. You can do your best, but your healthy leg is always dominant and your body knows it. Only leg extensions and one-leg squats (put your healthy leg on some bench behind you) can give the higher level of ACL leg involvement. Start with no weight, once you feel you are prepared and there is no pain, add more weight. You have a lot of time especially if you are not professional...good luck💪

[@salimattal2864]

I can do 120 kg legs extension im going to do surgery does this will help me ?

[@digitalobserved]

Thanks, amazing

[@SKIAMIALMOG]

Dear Friend! Thank you very much for all the great information which truly assist me after my second time ACL injury. I am all for surgery but need two stage ACLR, from the first one that I had 19 years ago, done the hamstring graft with bioabsorbable screw, remain a cyst in the tibia tunnel, already done the first stage with lemaire procedure on the 11/07/2023, one thing the first injury taught me, is that strengthening knee muscle is the most important thing, using extensions machine which isolating the quadricep is a must in my belief! Since my second injury on the 22/03/2023 when I am using the extensions device and trying to load weight I feel the tibia buckling!!! and using the device only up certain angle doesn't stimulates the muscle enough for me. Can you please give some insights? Thanks Ami ALMOG

[@RiiSK2000]

Thank you so much, I am 6 weeks post OP and still struggle with extension. I know that's good that's why I need to fucking get it back asap and will start implementing this right away

[@sammapleleaf1234]

Could you possibly do a video on PCL Rehabilitation please?

[@jknapman89]

Big fan of early OKC in these patients. But can seem to find data on how much weight is too much for full range (especially if individuals doing very well). Any guidance available across timelines?

[@omowunmio5428]

Thanks for this, is over a year since I did my (ACL reconstruction) but my knee is not fully bent it stops at 50° and I'm still on physiotherapy. I was told it has hanged. Hopefully it will bend to 90°

[@glorytoarstotzka330]

question, how do wall sits compare to leg extensions?

[@praty76]

Thank you for this info . My Physio is making me do full extension isometrics with 1.5 kg ankle weights. I am worried if it is going to affect terminal points or the graft. What would be your guidance for this . I have just completed 8.5 weeks after surgery . As per your video I should only be doing shorter range of motion .

[@mitmPL]

When the full extension should be performed?

[@bebotsonlyvendetta2398]

Excellent we are 2 months post op and we will be more aggressive with the leg extensions

[@arifsevimli4324]

I workout for years and after deciding to work out at my home gym ı stopped doing leg extensions. I started to have pain when ı used to sit on my knees. After years, I went to the gym and decided to do leg extensions, and the pain is gone instantly.

[@Clap_Codex]

I actually had an avulsion fracture of my ACL, so the ACL didn't have to get repaired but the bone fragment had to be reattached to the tibia. I'm a bit over 3 weeks into rehab after surgery now, do you think it's safe to start doing light-weight leg extensions or should I wait six weeks for the fracture to completely heal? Since the only risk for a refracture in my opinion happens during knee flexion over 90 degrees, I personally feel like I should be able to do these. What do you think?

[@mycophenolatmophetil]

Thanks a lot, is it ever possible to get symmetrical strength? This was the most devastating moment of my life. After tearing my acl… Im on the relearning walking mission at the moment. Im on month 2. and very tired of it all…

[@nathanbultman7056]

Is there a chance that leg extensions can stretch out the reconstructed ACL? I’m 17 days post OP patellar tendon graft and have not been reccomended this exercise yet but did them today with slight pain that I could push through . Thanks!

[@OrangeDude7]

How long should you be at full extension for in leg extensions?

[@markcooper9588]

What does the research look like in respect of leg extensions for those with a defect in the cartilage of the knee cap?

[@perezchiro6919]

From what I have heard it’s not the danger of tearing your graft if you start leg extensions too soon but that you might stretch the graft, specially if it’s a hamstring graft. Is this something that should be taken in consideration?

[@ignacio4098]

Cycling could also help, right?

[@jonathanagid8074]

links to papers pleaseeeee

[@nessa90]

How safe are doing these when you had an acl graft along with a medial meniscus repair surgery and aren't supposed to put a lot of weight on leg??

[@mycophenolatmophetil]

I forgot mentioning… i did so many squats with weights and everything and its true the other leg compensate so much my knee and hip hurts

[@johanesterhuizen1842]

This is great scientific info for the knee joint itself, but there are many other factors like ankle and hip mobility that play a role in the functional rehab of knee injuries

[@rsc580]

I made a ACL operation 10 months ago with a Quadriceps tendon graft. I still have pain during the the starting position when doing leg extensions and I’m not able to increase weights anymore. No swelling or pain after. How can I work my way around this? I have not made any Isometrics.

[@Arunkumar-wf9rd]

ACL partial tear recovery timing ???

[@alejandropinones331]

Hi please traslation spanish ..yours videos excellent

[@chory1827]

From my experience and what doctors said, you should not rush open kinematic excercises. Leg extensions mostly depend on how your muscles were prepared before surgery. I started doing some isometric leg extensions somewhere about 2 months after surgery and it was really difficult to do. The pain was just unbearable. Now Im 7 months after surgery. I know its important to train that quads since they are the hardest to do but it really doesnt take too much effort to grow muscles. Just grab some creatine and hit your legs twice a week in the gym. I would never suggest to do leg extensions too early unless you want to hurt people.

[@tombillard5264]

I've read that they put on some of the most shearing force of any leg exercise, is that not true?

[@redninjagaming4918]

The middle of my knee hurts whenever I do them I am 7 weeks post op

[@mitoali5151]

so it's really safe to do leg extension?

[@traceler]

What if you feel pain in patella and cracking grinding sound ? It is safe regardless of the grinding pain?

[@codice_pin]

Me too i hear that and feel that sound in my knee. I start doing leg extensions 6 weeks post op. I started with 0 weight now 8 weeks post op. I can do single leg extension 10 kg. 10 rep. I back down on second set and bring it back to 10 kg on later set depends on how i feel. So far so good i feel my leg improve every day and the cracking noise is less. Now i start cross training machine too. My doctor wasn’t allowed open chained movement after post op at all. But i did it accidentally every day. Like how i get off my bed. I did leg raise how can i avoid that. 🤷🏻 i’m glad this v video confirm that i can do open chain with no worries.

[@JoshStreetDesign]

@@codice_pin that always happens. It's nothing to to worry about. You're breaking apart scar tissue that's forming in there, that's why it hurts, and that's why PT is so painful for most people, because they don't' get back in the gym right away and keep the joint moving and stop that scar tissue from forming too much.

[@2345tag]

Hi, I can extend my knee and I do not have any felling that my knee is blocking but only when I do it in standing position so the hamstring is not supported by sitting on the bench or table. If I sit on the bench or table and perform knee extension I can feel and hear that my knee is jumping when the range of movement is changing from 20-15 degrees to 0 degrees so from 20-15 degrees to full flexion. If I perform the knee extension with some weight the feeling of jumping is worse and I can hear it too. What that can be?

[@chory1827]

Scar tissue and tight grapht. Getting full knee extension while sitting on the chair takes almost a year or it never goes back to normal in many cases. I dunno on what stage you are on right now but I would not rush open kinematic chain excercises. Although they are important. Deep squats with no weight for better going off stairs, leg extension with belt assist to overcome that scar tissue barrier with a lot of reps, stretching your knee by putting some 1-2 kg with your leg straight almost every day, working on your knee bending. That all together will work for you to be able to fully exted your knee while sitting on a chair. Im 7 months in and I still feel some scar tissue inside that prevents my knee from fully extending.

[@2345tag]

@@chory1827 Hi, I am afraid that I have different problem than you think. I can fully extend my knee. I am 5 months after surgery and I achieved full knee extension and lacking around 5 degrees in flexion. Problem is hard to describe. Something is jumping inside the knee when I tried to fully extend the knee. The feeling is less intense if I activate really hard my glutes. Additional to that I can feel some numbness in front of my shin on operated leg. I do not know how explain everything and why I have this symptoms so I am going soon the see knee specialist in private hospital. Hopefully he will give me some information.

[@rahulkaushik4194]

Are they better compared to squats and leg press for hypertrophy?

[@khalid1157]

Yes, Since one of the major muscle degeneration happens in the quads and it’s really important for the stability of the new ACL, and leg extension is one of the only exercises that isolates the Quads, but when we speak of non surgery then obviously squats is an overall better exercise!

[@rahulkaushik4194]

Got it. Thanks man@@khalid1157

[@youssefsouissi5423]

bro my knee keeps poping with no pain , do you have a fix for it ???

[@addiedesmarais1344]

I have this same problem!!

[@raoulb4978]

Same haha I’m 7month post op (quad graft and menicus repair) and I was doing great until 3 weeks ago. Pain in knee and so much pops and crunching. PT says it’s normal and just scar tissue breaking. But leg ext so painful rn.

[@youssefsouissi5423]

@@raoulb4978 same

[@QiuHC]

👍

[@trackman07]

I want it to be clear, you are arguing for using open-chain LE ext as well as closed chain exercises yes? There is still the concern of reactivating movement patterns and decreasing arthritis risk.

[@mehedihasan-gc7zg]

Hello. I had my ACL reconstruction and lateral meniscus repair 2 months ago.During leg extension, i feel my bones are sliding and feel some pain. What can i do to overcome ম

[@youtubekeepsshadowbannin-ym4go]

If your bones are sliding then that is a symptom of a ruptured ACL

[@alokdwivedi3860]

Can I do leg extensions after 2 week post surgery without weight ...or it may loose my grapht