Does ACL-reconstruction Lead To Higher Use Of Neural Resources To Prepare & Initiate Challenging Jump-landings?

Background: High psychological readiness is an important element for returning to sports after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Identifying factors that contribute to psychological readiness is essential for planning interventions to return to play. No studies have used multivariate analysis to clarify factors associated with psychological readiness to return to specific sports. Hypothesis: To identify factors that contribute to an athlete’s psychological readiness to return after ACL reconstruction to sports that require cutting, pivoting, and jump-landings. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Study participants were athletes who before injury had participated in sports with limited contact that required cutting, pivoting, and jump-landings (basketball, soccer, futsal, volleyball, badminton, tennis, and frisbee) and hoped to return to the same sport after reconstruction. Psychological readiness was measured using the Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Return to Sport After Injury Scale (ACL-RSI) in athletes more than 6 months after primary ACL reconstruction. To clarify factors associated with the ACL-RSI, univariate regression analysis and multivariate regression analysis were performed using the following independent variables: age, sex, body mass index, time from injury to reconstruction, time from reconstruction to testing, meniscal surgery, modified Tegner activity scale before injury, kinesiophobia, limb symmetry index of knee strength, limb symmetry indices of single-leg hop (SLH) distances, and subjective running ability. Results: Higher subjective running ability, a lower kinesiophobia score, and greater limb symmetry in the lateral SLH were positively associated with psychological readiness. Conclusion: The psychological readiness of athletes aiming to return after ACL reconstruction to limited-contact sports that require cutting, pivoting, and jump-landings was affected by subjective running ability, kinesiophobia, and asymmetry of lateral SLH distance. This information may be useful in planning appropriate interventions and thereby increasing the likelihood of an athlete’s returning to such sports.

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Net knee joint power and work patterns during drop vertical jump landings in patients following ACL reconstruction

Sports Orthopaedics and Traumatology ◽

10.1016/j.orthtr.2016.03.039 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 215-216

Author(s):

P. Gette ◽

C. Meyer ◽

A. Lion ◽

R. Seil ◽

D. Theisen

Keyword(s):

Knee Joint ◽

Acl Reconstruction ◽

Vertical Jump ◽

Work Patterns ◽

Joint Power ◽

Drop Vertical Jump ◽

Jump Landings

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Cortical Motor Planning and Biomechanical Stability During Unplanned Jump-Landings in Males With ACL-Reconstruction

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-0544.20 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Florian Giesche ◽

Solveig Vieluf ◽

Jan Wilke ◽

Tobias Engeroff ◽

Daniel Niederer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acl Reconstruction ◽

Motor Planning ◽

Effect Sizes ◽

Negative Slope ◽

Biomechanical Stability ◽

Movement Onset ◽

Theta Power ◽

Post Surgery ◽

Cortical Motor ◽

Jump Landings

Abstract Context: Athletes with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction exhibit increased cortical motor planning during simple sensorimotor tasks compared to healthy controls. This may interfere with proper decision-making during time-constrained movements elevating the re-injury risk. Objective: To compare cortical motor planning and biomechanical stability during jump-landings between participants with ACL-reconstruction and healthy individuals. Design: Cross-sectional exploratory study. Setting: Laboratory patients or other participants: Ten males with ACL-reconstruction (28±4 yrs., 63±35 months post-surgery) and 17 healthy males (28±4 yrs.) completed pre-planned (landing leg shown before take-off; n=43±4) and unplanned (visual cue during flight; n=51±5) countermovement-jumps with single-leg-landings. Main outcome measures: Movement-related cortical potentials (MRCP) and frontal theta frequency power before the jump were analyzed using electroencephalography. MRCP were subdivided into three successive 0.5 sec epochs (readiness potential 1 and 2; RP and negative slope; NS) relative to movement onset (higher values indicative of more motor planning). Theta power was calculated for the last 0.5 sec prior to movement onset (higher values indicative of more focused attention). Biomechanical landing stability was measured via vertical peak ground reaction force, time to stabilization, and center of pressure. Results: Both conditions evoked MRCP at all epochs in both groups. During the unplanned condition, the ACL-reconstructed group exhibited slightly, but not significantly higher MRCP (RP-1:p=0.651, d=0.44, RP-2:p=0.451, d=0.48; NS:p=0.482, d=0.41). The ACL-reconstructed group also showed slightly higher theta power values during the pre-planned (p=0.175, d=0.5) and unplanned condition (p=0.422, d=0.3) reaching small to moderate effect sizes. In none of the biomechanical outcomes, both groups differed significantly (p>0.05). No significant condition and group interactions occurred (p>0.05). Conclusions: Our jump-landing task evoked MRCP. Although not significant between groups, the observed effect sizes provide first indication that males with ACL-reconstruction may persistently rely on more cortical motor planning associated with unplanned jump-landings. Confirmatory studies with larger sample sizes are warranted. Trial registry: clinicalTrials.gov (NCT03336060).

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