scholarly journals Hip and Knee Kinematics and Kinetics During Landing Tasks After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam S. Lepley ◽  
Christopher M. Kuenze

Objective:  To evaluate the current evidence concerning kinematic and kinetic strategies adopted during dynamic landing tasks by patients with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Data Sources:  PubMed, Web of Science. Study Selection:  Original research articles that evaluated kinematics or kinetics (or both) during a landing task in those with a history of ACLR were included. Data Extraction:  Methodologic quality was assessed using the modified Downs and Black checklist. Means and standard deviations for knee or hip (or both) kinematics and kinetics were used to calculate Cohen d effect sizes and corresponding 95% confidence intervals between the injured limb of ACLR participants and contralateral or healthy matched limbs. Data were further stratified by landing tasks, either double- or single-limb landing. A random-effects–model meta-analysis was used to calculate pooled effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals. Data Synthesis:  The involved limbs of ACLR patients demonstrated clinically and significantly lower knee-extension moments during double-legged landing compared with healthy contralateral limbs and healthy control limbs (Cohen d range = −0.81 to −1.23) and decreased vertical ground reaction forces when compared with healthy controls, regardless of task (Cohen d range = −0.39 to −1.75). Conclusions:  During single- and double-legged landing tasks, individuals with ACLR demonstrated meaningful reductions in injured-limb knee-extension moments and vertical ground reaction forces. These findings indicate potential unloading of the injured limb after ACLR, which may have significant implications for secondary ACL injury and long-term joint health.

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (11) ◽  
pp. 2608-2616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew P. Ithurburn ◽  
Mark V. Paterno ◽  
Staci Thomas ◽  
Michael L. Pennell ◽  
Kevin D. Evans ◽  
...  

Background: While between-limb landing asymmetries after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are linked with poor function and risk of additional injury, it is not currently understood how landing symmetry changes over time after ACLR. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose was to investigate how double-legged drop vertical jump (DVJ) landing and single-legged drop-landing symmetry changed from the time of return-to-sport (RTS) clearance to 2 years later in a prospective cohort of young athletes after ACLR. It was hypothesized that double-legged DVJ landing and single-legged drop-landing symmetry would improve from the time of RTS to 2 years later. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: The authors followed 64 young athletes with primary, unilateral ACLR for 2 years after RTS clearance. At the time of RTS and 2 years later, between-limb symmetry values for biomechanical variables of interest (VOIs) were calculated with 3-dimensional motion analysis during double-legged DVJ and single-legged drop-landing tasks. VOIs included knee flexion excursion, peak internal knee extension moment, peak vertical ground-reaction force, and peak trunk flexion (for single-legged task only). Symmetry values and proportions of participants meeting 90% symmetry cutoffs were compared between time points. Results: For double-legged DVJ landing, symmetry values for all VOIs and the proportions meeting 90% cutoffs for peak internal knee extension moment and peak vertical ground-reaction force were higher at 2 years after RTS as compared with RTS. For single-legged drop-landing, symmetry values were higher for knee flexion excursion and lower for peak trunk flexion at 2 years after RTS as compared with RTS, but the proportions meeting 90% cutoffs for all VOIs did not differ between time points. Conclusion: Double-legged DVJ landing symmetry improved across VOIs over the 2 years after RTS following ACLR, while single-legged drop-landing did not improve as consistently. The implications of longitudinal landing asymmetry after ACLR should be further studied.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Lisee ◽  
Adam S. Lepley ◽  
Thomas Birchmeier ◽  
Kaitlin O’Hagan ◽  
Christopher Kuenze

Context: Quadriceps function is a significant contributor to knee joint health that is influenced by central and peripheral factors, especially after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Objective: To assess differences of unilateral quadriceps isometric strength and activation between the involved limb and contralateral limb of individuals with ACLR and healthy controls. Data Sources: Web of Science, SportDISCUS, PubMed, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Database were all used during the search. Study Selection: A total of 2024 studies were reviewed. Twenty-eight studies including individuals with a unilateral history of ACLR, isometric knee extension strength normalized to body mass, and quadriceps activation measured by central activation ratios (CARs) through a superimposed burst technique were identified for meta-analysis. The methodological quality of relevant articles was assessed using a modified Downs and Black scale. Results of methodological quality assessment ranged from low to high quality (low, n = 10; moderate, n = 8; high, n = 10). Study Design: Meta-analysis. Level of Evidence: Level 2. Data Extraction: Means, standard deviations, and sample sizes were extracted from articles, and magnitude of between-limb and between-group differences were evaluated using a random-effects model meta-analysis approach to calculate combined pooled effect sizes (ESs) and 95% CIs. ESs were classified as weak ( d < 0.19), small ( d = 0.20-0.49), moderate ( d = 0.50-0.79), or large ( d > 0.80). Results: The involved limb of individuals with ACLR displayed lower knee extension strength compared with the contralateral limb (ES, –0.78; lower bound [LB], –0.99; upper bound [UB], –0.58) and healthy controls (ES, –0.76; LB, –0.98; UB, –0.53). The involved limb displayed a lower CAR compared with healthy controls (ES, –0.84; LB, –1.18; UB, –0.50) but not compared with the contralateral limb (ES, –0.15; LB, –0.37; UB, 0.07). The ACLR contralateral limb displayed a lower CAR (ES, –0.73; LB, –1.39; UB, –0.07) compared with healthy control limbs but similar knee extension strength (ES, –0.24; LB, –0.68; UB, –0.19). Conclusion: Individuals with ACLR have bilateral CAR deficits and involved limb strength deficits that persist years after surgery. Deficits in quadriceps function may have meaningful implications for patient-reported and objective outcomes, risk of reinjury, and long-term joint health after ACLR.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 232596712093698
Author(s):  
Milos Petrovic ◽  
Haraldur B. Sigurðsson ◽  
Hjálmar J. Sigurðsson ◽  
Thorarinn Sveinsson ◽  
Kristín Briem

Background: There are 2 movement patterns associated with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury: dynamic valgus and stiff landing. Although sex-dependent differences have been identified for adults, less is known for preadolescent athletes regarding movement patterns known to load the ACL. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that girls would demonstrate greater vertical ground reaction forces and knee valgus angles. We further hypothesized that the exercise intervention would affect girls more than boys and that this would primarily be demonstrated in less sagittal plane excursions, increased vertical ground reaction forces and knee valgus moments for girls than for boys. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Male and female soccer and handball players (n = 288; age range, 9-12 years) were recruited. A motion capture system synchronized to a force platform was used to record 5 trials of a cutting maneuver before and after a 5-minute fatigue intervention. Linear mixed models were constructed, and analysis of variance was used to analyze differences in outcomes associated with the sex of the athletes. Results: Boys showed greater peak knee valgus moment (0.26 vs 0.22 N·m/kg, respectively; P = .048), peak knee internal rotation moment (–0.13 vs –0.10 N·m/kg, respectively; P = .021), knee rotation excursion (–7.9° vs –6.9°, respectively; P = .014), and knee extension excursion (2.7° vs 1.4°, respectively; P < .001) compared with that in girls. A significant sex × fatigue intervention interaction ( F = 7.6; P = .006) was found, which was caused by a greater increase in first peak vertical ground-reaction force (vGRF) from before to after the fatigue intervention for girls (15.3 to 16.0 N/kg) compared with boys (16.4 to 16.5 N/kg). Conclusion: Differences detected for biomechanical factors during the cutting maneuver do not point to a greater ACL injury risk for prepubescent or early pubescent girls than for boys. Nonetheless, girls go on to develop more detrimental movement patterns in adolescence than those in boys in terms of biomechanical risk factors. Clinical Relevance: Early adolescence is a good target age to learn and develop muscular control; balance, strength; flexibility; and jumping, running, and landing control. This time of physical and athletic growth may therefore be an appropriate period to influence biomechanical factors and thereby task execution and the injury risk.


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Kuenze ◽  
Jay Hertel ◽  
Susan Saliba ◽  
David R. Diduch ◽  
Arthur Weltman ◽  
...  

Context:Normal, symmetrical quadriceps strength is a common clinical goal after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Currently, the clinical thresholds for acceptable unilateral quadriceps function and symmetry associated with positive outcomes after return to activity are unclear.Objective:To establish quadriceps-activation and knee-extension-torque cutoffs for clinical assessment after return to activity after ACLR.Design:Descriptive laboratory study.Setting:Laboratory.Patients:22 (10 female, 12 male; age = 22.5 ± 5.0 y, height = 172.9 ± 7.1 cm, mass = 74.1 ± 15.5 kg, months since surgery = 31.5 ± 23.5) recreationally active persons with a history of unilateral, primary ACLR at least 6 months prior and 24 (12 female/12 male, age = 21.7 ± 3.6 y, height = 168.0 ± 8.8 cm, mass = 69.3 ± 13.6 kg) recreationally active healthy participants.Main Outcome Measures:Patient-reported measures of pain, knee-related function, and physical activity level were recorded for all participants. Normalized knee-extension maximum-voluntary-isometric-contraction (MVIC) torque (Nm/kg) and quadriceps central-activation ratio (CAR, %) were measured bilaterally in all participants. Receiver-operator-characteristic (ROC) curves were used to establish thresholds for unilateral measures of normalized knee-extension MVIC torque and quadriceps CAR, as well as limb-symmetry indices (LSI). ROC curves then established clinical thresholds for normalized knee-extension MVIC torque and quadriceps CAR LSIs associated with healthy knee-related function.Results:Involved-quadriceps CAR above 89.3% was the strongest unilateral indicator of healthy-group membership, while quadriceps CAR LSI above 0.996 and knee-extension MVIC torque above 0.940 were the strongest overall indicators. Unilateral normalized knee-extension MVIC torque above 3.00 Nm/kg and quadriceps CAR LSI above 0.992 were the best indicators of good patient-reported knee-related outcomes.Conclusions:Threshold values established in this study may provide a guide for clinicians when making return-to-activity decisions after ACLR. Normalized knee-extension MVIC torque (>3.00 Nm/kg) and quadriceps CAR symmetry (>99.6%) are both strong indicators of good patient-reported outcomes after ACLR.


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