Biomechanical parameters during running in patients with Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery.

Details

Supervisors

VanCant, Joachim

Faculty

Faculté des sciences de la motricité

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de la motricité, orientation générale, à finalité spécialisée: kinésithérapie musculo-squelettique

Abstract

Background: The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries caused by to cutting and pivoting sports which leads to high numbers of ACL reconstructions (ACL-R) followed by lengthy rehabilitation process. Running is an essential component of the rehabilitation process, especially for returning to stressful sports (cutting and pivoting). An understanding of the modifications in running biomechanics is necessary for an optimal return to sports activities after ACL reconstruction. Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to assess the kinematic (knee angles) and kinetic (knee moments, GRF, contact time) differences during running between anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction subjects and healthy controls at midterm (6 to 12 months) RTS2 and long term (12 to 24 months) RTS3 after surgery. Methods: An electronic search was performed using Embase and PubMed databases with a combination of keywords and MESH terms. Furthermore, a manual search was completed to insure inclusion. All studies containing biomechanical analysis of kinematic, kinetic variables in patients during running after ACL reconstruction were identified. The studies found were assessed by using the inclusion and exclusion criteria. In addition, a quality assessment was conducted. Results: 23 out of the 5,555 studies were included. The main findings of this review are: a decrease in knee flexion angle at 6 to 12 months, a decrease in knee extension moment at 6 to 12 months, a smaller knee flexion moment at 6 to 12 months that may persist after 24 months. Furthermore, an increase in ground reaction force was perceived in the ACL reconstruction group. Conclusion: This systematic review showcased that biomechanical deficits persist after 6 months and up to 24 months’ post reconstruction in subjects while running. These results highlight the importance of running and the necessity of a more focused approach by clinicians on running in the rehabilitation process for better long term outcomes.