Functional Resistance Training After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Improves Knee Angle and Moment Symmetry During Gait: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

One-dimension statistical parametric mapping in lower limb biomechanical analysis: A systematic scoping review

BACKGROUND

Biomechanics significantly impacts sports performance and injury prevention. Traditional methods like discrete point analysis simplify continuous kinetic and kinematic data, while one-dimensional Statistical Parametric Mapping (spm1d) evaluates entire movement curves. Nevertheless, spm1d's application in sports and injury research is limited. As no systematic review exists, we conducted a scoping systematic review, synthesizing the current applications of spm1d across various populations, activities, and injuries. This review concludes by identifying gaps in the literature and suggesting areas for future research.

RESEARCH QUESTION

What research exists using spm1d in sports biomechanics, focusing on the lower limbs, in what populations, and what are the current research gaps?

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and ProQuest databases for the following search string: "(((knee) OR (hip)) OR (ankle)) OR (foot) OR (feet) AND (statistical parametric mapping)". English peer-reviewed studies assessing lower limb kinetics or kinematics in different sports or sports-related injuries were included. Reviews, meta-analyses, conference abstracts, and grey literature were excluded.

RESULTS

Our search yielded 165 papers published since 2012. Among these, 112 examined healthy individuals (67 %), and 53 focused on injured populations (33 %). Running (n = 45), cutting (n = 25), and jumping/landing (n = 18) were the most common activities. The predominant injuries were anterior cruciate ligament rupture (n = 21), chronic ankle instability (n = 18), and hip-related pain (n = 9). The main research gaps included the unbalanced populations, underrepresentation of common sports and sport-related injuries, gender inequality, a lack of studies in non-laboratory settings, a lack of studies on varied sports gear, and a lack of reporting standardization.

SIGNIFICANCE

This review spotlights crucial gaps in spm1d research within sports biomechanics. Key issues include a lack of studies beyond laboratory settings, underrepresentation of various sports and injuries, and gender disparities in research populations. Addressing these gaps can significantly enhance the application of spm1d in sports performance, injury analysis, and rehabilitation.

Editorial Commentary: Gait Symmetry After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Is Improved Using Functional Rehabilitation Braces That Resist Knee Motion

The effort of the rehabilitation journey to solve the several known functional and clinical problems after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction should be directed toward implementing effective recovery strategies starting the day after surgery. Resistance training is a reliable approach to restore general knee function, but in the early postoperative stages, it may be difficult to apply proper loading strategies to obtain tangible improvements owing to surgery-related impairments. Accordingly, applying continuous light resistance during functional tasks such as gait may help to address this issue. As such, bracing models that provide resistance to knee motion have recently been developed and have been shown to help in restoring a proper walking pattern in terms of moment and range-of-motion symmetry. Therefore, the adoption of such bracing models may be regarded as a suitable option to consider to boost the achievement of rehabilitative milestones, therefore generally improving rehabilitation quality.