Thermal evolution of lower limbs during a rehabilitation process after anterior cruciate ligament surgery

Infrared thermography (IRT) is a safe and non-invasive tool used for examining physiological functions based on skin temperature (Tsk) control. The aim of this paper was to establish the probable thermal difference between the beginning and the end of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rehabilitation process after surgery. For this purpose thermograms from 25 ACL surgically operated patients (2 women, 23 men) were taken on the first and last day of a six-week rehabilitation program. A FLIR infrared camera according to the protocol established by the International Academy of Clinical Thermology (IACT). The results showed significant temperature increases in the posterior thigh area between the first and the last week of the rehabilitation process probably due to a compensatory mechanism. According to this, we can conclude that temperature of the posterior area of the injured and non-injured leg has increased from the first to the last day of the rehabilitation process.