The Influence of Demographic Parameters and ACL Injury on the Association Among Clinical, Functional and Biomechanical Parameters

MechBRACE - The Influence of Demographic Parameters and ACL Injury on the Association Among Clinical, Functional and Biomechanical Parameters

This retrospective study aims at analysing demographics and clinical, functional and biomechanical outcomes in patients after ACL injury (conservative therapy and/or surgery) in patients of different ages and healthy controls. Demographics, as well as clinical, functional and biomechanical parameters were collected between 2019 and 2022 in two research projects approved by the Ethikkommission Nordwestschweiz (EKNZ 2019-00491, EKNZ 2019-01315, EKNZ 2020-00551). The primary research question analyzes if maximal SLH distance and LSISLH distance are related to the predictors age, sex, isokinetic muscle strength and the presence of injury.

Injury of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the most common injuries of the knee. ACL reconstruction using auto- and allografts is still the gold-standard technique and widely used in the surgical treatment of ACL ruptures. Potential deficits in the affected leg are frequently evaluated using the limb symmetry index (LSI) calculated as performance affected side/performance unaffected side x 100. Several factors other than injury may influence single leg hop (SLH) distance and LSI such as sex, age, and muscle strength. This retrospective study aims at analysing demographics and clinical, functional and biomechanical outcomes in patients after ACL injury (conservative therapy and/or surgery) in patients of different ages and healthy controls. Demographics, as well as clinical, functional and biomechanical parameters were collected between 2019 and 2022 in two research projects approved by the Ethikkommission Nordwestschweiz (EKNZ 2019-00491, EKNZ 2019-01315, EKNZ 2020-00551)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients: 2-10 years since ACL injury
• Control subjects: no previous injury to the meniscus or the ligament apparatus of the knee

Exclusion Criteria:

• Bilateral injury or previous injury or surgical treatment of the opposite side within the past 2 years and the injured leg within the past 6 months
• Concomitant conditions that affect the mobility of the knee (e.g., neuromuscular diseases that affect lower limb movement, injury of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), more than one collateral ligament ruptured, fracture, luxation of the knee, tumorous disease, immunosuppressed patients)
• Inability to give informed consent