scholarly journals In Situ Joint Stiffness Increases During Skeletal Growth but Decreases Following Partial and Complete Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie G. Cone ◽  
Jorge A. Piedrahita ◽  
Jeffrey T. Spang ◽  
Matthew B. Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Joint Stiffness ◽  
Acl Injury ◽  
Ligament Injury ◽  
Joint Function ◽  
Anterior Cruciate ◽  
Slack Length ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Partial and complete anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur in both pediatric and adult populations and can result in loss of joint stability and function. The sigmoidal shape of knee joint function (load-translation curve) under applied loads includes a low-load region (described by slack length) followed by a high-load region (described by stiffness). However, the impact of age and injury on these parameters is not fully understood. The current objective was to measure the effects of age and injury on the shape of joint function in a porcine model. In response to an applied anterior–posterior tibial load, in situ slack did not change (p > 0.05), despite sevenfold increases in joint size with increasing age. Joint stiffness increased from an average of 10 N/mm in early youth to 47 N/mm in late adolescence (p < 0.05). In situ ACL stiffness increased similarly, and changes in in situ joint stiffness and ACL stiffness were highly correlated across ages. With complete ACL injury, in situ slack length increased by twofold to fourfold and in situ stiffness decreased threefold to fourfold across ages (p < 0.05). Partial ACL injury resulted in less dramatic, but statistically significant, increases in joint slack and significant decreases in in situ joint stiffness in the adolescent age groups (p < 0.05). This work furthers our understanding of the interaction between joint biomechanics and ACL function throughout growth and the impact of ACL injury in the skeletally immature joint.

scholarly journals Ball heading and subclinical concussion in soccer as a risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
George Kakavas ◽  
Nikolaos Malliaropoulos ◽  
Wieslaw Blach ◽  
Georgios Bikos ◽  
Filippo Migliorini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Neuromuscular Control ◽  
Acl Injury ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Ligament Injury ◽  
Neurocognitive Performance ◽  
Acl Injuries ◽  
Anterior Cruciate ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSoccer players have a high risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, a potentially career-ending event. ACL rupture has been linked with abnormal neuromuscular control in the lower limb. Additionally, heading the ball with the unprotected head during game play is increasingly recognized as a major source of exposure to concussive and sub-concussive repetitive head impacts. This article provides a hypothesis of potential connection of ACL injury with ball heading in soccer players. The study reviews literature sources regarding the impact of neurocognitive alterations after ball headings in ACL injuries. Poor baseline neurocognitive performance or impairments in neurocognitive performance via sleep deprivation, psychological stress, or concussion can increase the risk for subsequent musculoskeletal injury.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Knee Abduction Angles Measured by a 3D Anatomic Coordinate System Versus Videographic Analysis: Implications for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 232596711881983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoë A. Englander ◽  
Hattie C. Cutcliffe ◽  
Gangadhar M. Utturkar ◽  
William E. Garrett ◽  
Charles E. Spritzer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Coordinate System ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Acl Injury ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Images ◽  
Coronal Plane ◽  
Ligament Injury ◽  
Abduction Angle ◽  
Knee Abduction ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

Background: Knee positions involved in noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury have been studied via analysis of injury videos. Positions of high ACL strain have been identified in vivo. These methods have supported different hypotheses regarding the role of knee abduction in ACL injury. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to compare knee abduction angles measured by 2 methods: using a 3-dimensional (3D) coordinate system based on anatomic features of the bones versus simulated 2-dimensional (2D) videographic analysis. We hypothesized that knee abduction angles measured in a 2D videographic analysis would differ from those measured from 3D bone anatomic features and that videographic knee abduction angles would depend on flexion angle and on the position of the camera relative to the patient. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: Models of the femur and tibia were created from magnetic resonance images of 8 healthy male participants. The models were positioned to match biplanar fluoroscopic images obtained as participants posed in lunges of varying flexion angles (FLAs). Knee abduction angle was calculated from the positioned models in 2 ways: (1) varus-valgus angle (VVA), defined as the angle between the long axis of the tibia and the femoral transepicondylar axis by use of a 3D anatomic coordinate system; and (2) coronal plane angle (CPA), defined as the angle between the long axis of the tibia and the long axis of the femur projected onto the tibial coronal plane to simulate a 2D videographic analysis. We then simulated how changing the position of the camera relative to the participant would affect knee abduction angles. Results: During flexion, when CPA was calculated from a purely anterior or posterior view of the joint—an ideal scenario for measuring knee abduction from 2D videographic analysis—CPA was significantly different from VVA ( P < .0001). CPA also varied substantially with the position of the camera relative to the participant. Conclusion: How closely CPA (derived from 2D videographic analysis) relates to VVA (derived from a 3D anatomic coordinate system) depends on FLA and camera orientation. Clinical Relevance: This study provides a novel comparison of knee abduction angles measured from 2D videographic analysis and those measured within a 3D anatomic coordinate system. Consideration of these findings is important when interpreting 2D videographic data regarding knee abduction angle in ACL injury.

scholarly journals Evidence too weak to guide surgical treatment decisions for anterior cruciate ligament injury: a systematic review of the risk of new meniscal tears after anterior cruciate ligament injury

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 520-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guri Ranum Ekås ◽  
Clare L Ardern ◽  
Hege Grindem ◽  
Lars Engebretsen
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Surgical Treatment ◽  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Acl Injury ◽  
Ligament Injury ◽  
Meniscal Tears ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

ObjectiveTo investigate the risk of new meniscal tears after treatment for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, in children and adults with and without ACL reconstruction.DesignPrognosis systematic review (PROSPERO registration number CRD42016036788).MethodsWe searched Embase, Ovid Medline, Cochrane, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, PEDro and Google Scholar from inception to 3rd May 2018. Eligible articles included patients with ACL injury (diagnosis confirmed by MRI and/or diagnostic arthroscopy), reported the number of meniscal tears at the time of ACL injury diagnosis/start of treatment and reported the number of new meniscal tears that subsequently occurred. Articles with fewer than 20 patients at follow-up, and articles limited to ACL revision surgery or multi-ligament knee injuries were excluded. Two independent reviewers screened articles, assessed eligibility, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. We judged the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) working group methodology.ResultsOf 75 studies included in the systematic review, 54 studies with 9624 patients and 501 new meniscal tears were appropriate for quantitative analysis. Heterogeneity precluded data pooling. The risk of new meniscal tears was 0%–21% when follow-up was <2 years, 0%–29% when follow-up was 2 to 5 years, 5%–52% when follow-up was 5 to 10 years and 4%–31% when follow-up was longer than 10 years. The proportion of studies with high risk of selection, misclassification and detection bias was 84%, 69% and 68%, respectively. Certainty of evidence was very low.ConclusionNew meniscal tears occurred in 0%–52% of patients between 4 months and 20 years (mean 4.9±4.4 years) following treatment for ACL injury. The certainty of evidence was too low to guide surgical treatment decisions. This review cannot conclude that the incidence of new meniscal tears is lower if ACL injury is treated with surgery compared with treatment with rehabilitation only.

scholarly journals Brain Activation for Knee Movement Measured Days Before Second Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: Neuroimaging in Musculoskeletal Medicine

2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (10) ◽  
pp. 1005-1010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dustin R. Grooms ◽  
Stephen J. Page ◽  
James A. Onate
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Matched Control ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Neuromuscular Control ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Acl Injury ◽  
Ligament Injury ◽  
Control Participant ◽  
Visual Motor ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

Background Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury has multifactorial causes encompassing mechanical, hormonal, exposure, and anatomical factors. Alterations in the central nervous system also play a role, but their influence after injury, recovery, and recurrent injury remain unknown. Modern neuroimaging techniques can be used to elucidate the underlying functional and structural alterations of the brain that predicate the neuromuscular control adaptations associated with ACL injury. This knowledge will further our understanding of the neural adaptations after ACL injury and rehabilitation and in relation to injury risk. In this paper, we describe the measurement of brain activation during knee extension-flexion after ACL injury and reconstruction and 26 days before a contralateral ACL injury. Methods Brain functional magnetic resonance imaging data for an ACL-injured participant and a matched control participant were collected and contrasted. Results Relative to the matched control participant, the ACL-injured participant exhibited increased activation of motor-planning, sensory-processing, and visual-motor control areas. A similar activation pattern was present for the contralateral knee that sustained a subsequent injury. Conclusions Bilateral neuroplasticity after ACL injury may contribute to the risk of second injury, or aspects of neurophysiology may be predisposing factors to primary injury. Clinical Implications Sensory-visual-motor function and motor-learning adaptations may provide targets for rehabilitation.

scholarly journals Effect of Muscle-Specific Fatigue on the Risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Females

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 4969
Author(s):  
Jeheon Moon ◽  
Jinseok Lee ◽  
Keehyun Kim ◽  
Dohoon Koo ◽  
Jusung Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Acl Injury ◽  
Musculoskeletal Modeling ◽  
Ligament Injury ◽  
Treatment Conditions ◽  
Valgus Angle ◽  
Anterior Cruciate ◽  
And Control ◽  
Biomechanical Factors

The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of muscle-specific fatigue of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles on the biomechanical factors of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury using musculoskeletal modeling techniques during directional diversion maneuver. Fifteen female subjects performed a directional diversion maneuver under three treatment conditions (quadriceps fatigue, hamstring fatigue, and control gait). Data from the 3D motion capture system and force platform were used to extract anterior/posterior ACL forces using the two-bundle ACL musculoskeletal modeling approach. A decrease in maximum extension (51.3%) and flexion (50.7%) torque after fatigue was observed. After quadriceps fatigue, the extension (p = 0.041) and adduction moments (p = 0.046) of the knee joint and the mean anterior bundle of ACL force (p = 0.021) decreased significantly. The knee flexion angle (p = 0.003), knee valgus angle (p = 0.013), and shear force (p = 0.043) decreased significantly after hamstring fatigue. The decrease in ACL force after quadriceps fatigue confirms its significant role in causing an ACL injury. However, no significant differences in ACL load after hamstring fatigue leads us to speculate that the antagonist muscle group, i.e., the hamstring, might not have a preventive mechanism against ACL injury.

scholarly journals Patellar Tendon Quality and Knee Symptoms in Male Athletes Before the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Soncino Pereira ◽  
Jasenko Klauznicer ◽  
Sean McAuliffe ◽  
Rodney Whiteley ◽  
Taija Juutinen Finni
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Patellar Tendon ◽  
Knee Pain ◽  
Tissue Characterization ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Acl Injury ◽  
Ultrasound Tissue Characterization ◽  
Anterior Cruciate ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: It is unknown if the quality of the patellar tendon is affected by an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. ACL deficient patients (ACL-D) have shown to have knee pain, quadriceps weakness and reduced knee function. Ultrasound tissue characterization (UTC) has been used to assess the quality of tendons by quantifying the proportion of echo-types using a numerical grading system from best to worst (I-IV). The primary aims of this cross-sectional study were to investigate the patellar tendon quality in athletes with unilateral ACL injuries, and to compare them to asymptomatic control tendons. The secondary aims were to assess the impact of anterior knee pain (AKP) in the patellar tendons of ACL-D, and to explore possible correlations between tendon quality and knee pain, knee extensor strength and time from ACL injury. Methods: UTC was used to scan both patellar tendons of 81 ACL-D athletes and 20 control tendons. Echo-types distribution was calculated to compare the quality between limbs of ACL-D and control tendons; and to compare ACL-D with AKP, other knee pain, and without pain. Associations between the variables of tendon quality and knee symptoms were explored. Results: No difference in tendon quality was found between limbs of ACL-D. Both tendons of ACL-D displayed more echo-type II at the patellar apex, and same or less echo-types III and IV than controls. The proximal half of the control tendons displayed better quality than the distal half. ACL-D knees with pain displayed less extensor strength, however, in addition to the lack of difference in tendon quality regardless of the presence and location of pain, there was no meaningful association between pain, extensor strength and tendon quality. Nevertheless, there were weak to moderate associations between tendon quality and time from ACL injury. Conclusion: Despite the ACL injury, there is no difference in tendon quality between ACL-D limbs, or when subgrouping ACL-D tendons by presence and location of knee pain. Different areas of the patellar tendon may present different characteristics that might be related to training. Tendon quality is better if a person has longer time from injury.

scholarly journals Epidemiology of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury among Collegiate male athletes in Football and volleyball

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Acl Injury ◽  
Ligament Injury ◽  
Ligament Injuries ◽  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries ◽  
Male College ◽  
Volleyball Players ◽  
Anterior Cruciate

In this study tried to investigate the prevalence of incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in collegiate male soccer and volleyball. Because it seems the injury in ACL is more common in soccer and volleyball players. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most commonly disrupted ligaments in the knee. Male college athletes have higher rates of anterior cruciate ligament injury. Rates of anterior cruciate ligament injuries for men in collegiate in two sports activity have not been examined. Understanding anterior cruciate ligament injury incidence in soccer and volleyball, a contact and non-contact sport for men, could further injury prevention efforts. Data were collected from Sports Cultural Olympiad male students 2012-2014 and analyzed to compare anterior cruciate ligament injuries in male college soccer and volleyball athletes from the questionnaire (n=447) and through interviews with injured players. Our results indicate volleyball players are a high-risk sport for anterior cruciate ligament injury although this sport is among non-contact activity. Our study indicated that soccer has the greatest number of ACL injuries (α =1%) rather than volleyball. Our finding may be explained by the fact that soccer involves more contact than volleyball. Factors such as age, sex, chronicity of injury, associated pathology, activity level, attitude, range of motion and motivation must all be considered to compare of ACL injury. It was suggested that these data would be helpful for the reduction of injury risks and the costs besides with proper onsite precautions.

scholarly journals Is restricted hip movement a risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament injury?

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 230949901879952
Author(s):  
Naoki Nakano ◽  
Jonathan Bartlett ◽  
Vikas Khanduja
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Cruciate Ligament ◽  
Acl Injury ◽  
Ligament Injury ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Anterior Cruciate ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Radiological Studies

Restricted hip movement along with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has been reported to be an important risk factor in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. We performed a literature review assessing the evidence that FAI, or restricted hip movement, contributes to the likelihood of sustaining an ACL injury to provide an evidence-based and comprehensive update on the relationship between these pathologies. Studies were divided into three categories: clinical studies, radiological studies and cadaveric studies. Clinical studies primarily assessed the limitations to hip movement in patients with ACL injury, and numerous studies of this kind have demonstrated a relationship between restricted movement and ACL injury. Radiological studies have been able to demonstrate a higher number of bony hip abnormalities in patients with ACL injury. However, due to variable results within these studies, it is unclear which kinds of bony abnormality are specifically associated with an increased risk of ACL injury. Cadaveric studies have demonstrated that peak ACL relative strain was inversely related to the range of internal rotation of the femur, thus providing a potential mechanism for this relationship. In conclusion, clinical and radiological studies have established a correlation between restricted hip and ACL injury, but have been unable to demonstrate an increased risk of future ACL injury in individuals with restricted hip movement. Future prospective cohort studies are necessary to confirm this. Additionally, these findings highlight the need for a thorough clinical assessment of the hip when assessing patients with an ACL injury.

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