At 2 and 8 days postoperatively, patients in the DLA group had a statistically significantly larger reduction in muscular strength relative to the preoperative level than did the patients in the PA and AA groups, with no statistically signi cant dif- ference between the PA and AA groups at 2 and 8 days post- operatively (Table 2). At 6 weeks postoperatively, there was still a statistically signi cant difference in percentage muscle strength change compared to preoperative values between the DLA group and the PA group, in favor of patients in the PA group. No statistically signi cant differences were found between patients in the AA group and patients in the PA group at 6 weeks, or between patients in the DLA and AA groups at 6 weeks. At 3-month follow-up, no statistically signi cant changes in muscle strength were found between any of the groups (Figure 5). 3 months postoperatively, the leg-press muscular strength was 18% less in the operated leg than in the unoperated leg (p < 0.001), with no differences between the groups.