Bilateral Gait 6 and 12 Months Post–Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Compared with Controls. Issue 4 (April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: DAVIS-WILSON, HOPE C.; PFEIFFER, STEVEN J.; JOHNSTON, CHRISTOPHER D.; SEELEY, MATTHEW K.; HARKEY, MATTHEW S.; BLACKBURN, J. TROY; FOCKLER, RYAN P.; SPANG, JEFFREY T.; PIETROSIMONE, BRIAN
• Is Part Of: Medicine and science in sports and exercise. Volume 52:Issue 4(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-04
• Subjects: VERTICAL GROUND REACTION FORCE -- KNEE FLEXION ANGLE -- KNEE EXTENSION MOMENT -- WALKING BIOMECHANICS -- ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT; Sports medicine -- Periodicals; Exercise -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Exercise -- Health aspects -- Periodicals; 612.044
• DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002208
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0195-9131

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Purpose: To compare gait biomechanics throughout stance phase 6 and 12 months after unilateral anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) between ACLR and contralateral limbs and compared with controls. Methods: Vertical ground reaction force (vGRF), knee flexion angle (KFA), and internal knee extension moment (KEM) were collected bilaterally 6 and 12 months post-ACLR in 30 individuals (50% female, 22 ± 3 yr, body mass index = 23.8 ± 2.2 kg·m −2 ) and at a single time point in 30 matched uninjured controls (50% female, 22 ± 4 yr, body mass index = 23.6 ± 2.1 kg·m −2 ). Functional analyses of variance were used to evaluate the effects of limb (ACLR, contralateral, and control) and time (6 and 12 months) on biomechanical outcomes throughout stance. Results: Compared with the uninjured controls, the ACLR group demonstrated bilaterally lesser vGRF (ACLR, 9% body weight [BW]; contralateral, 4%BW) during early stance and greater vGRF during midstance (ACLR, 5%BW; contralateral, 4%BW) 6 months post-ACLR. Compared to the uninjured controls, the ACLR group demonstrated bilaterally lesser vGRF (ACLR, 10%BW; contralateral, 8%BW) during early stance and greater vGRF during midstance (ACLR, 5%BW; contralateral, 5%BW) 12 months post-ACLR. Compared with controls, the ACLR limb demonstrated lesser KFA during early stance at 6 (2.3°) and 12 months post-ACLR (2.0°), and the contralateral limb demonstrated lesser KFA during early stance at 12 months post-ACLR (2.8°). Compared with controls, the ACLR limb demonstrated lesser KEM during early stance at both 6 months (0.011BW × height) and 12 months (0.007BW × height) post-ACLR, and the contralateral limb demonstrated lesser KEM during early stance only at 12 months (0.006BW × height). Conclusions: Walking biomechanics are altered bilaterally after ACLR. During the first 12 months post-ACLR, both the ACLR and contralateral limbs demonstrate biomechanical differences compared with control limbs. Differences between the contralateral and control limbs increase from 6 to 12 months post-ACLR. Abstract : Supplemental digital content is available in the text.