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Bühl L, Müller S, Nüesch C, Boyer KA, Casto E, Mündermann A, Egloff C. Ambulatory knee biomechanics and muscle activity 2 years after ACL surgery: InternalBrace TM-augmented ACL repair versus ACL reconstruction versus healthy controls. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2023; 24:785. [PMID: 37794432 PMCID: PMC10548591 DOI: 10.1186/s12891-023-06916-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about knee mechanics and muscle control after augmented ACL repair. Our aim was to compare knee biomechanics and leg muscle activity during walking between the legs of patients 2 years after InternalBraceTM-augmented anterior cruciate ligament repair (ACL-IB) and between patients after ACL-IB and ACL reconstruction (ACL-R), and controls. METHODS Twenty-nine ACL-IB, 27 sex- and age-matched ACL-R (hamstring tendon autograft) and 29 matched controls completed an instrumented gait analysis. Knee joint angles, moments, power, and leg muscle activity were compared between the involved and uninvolved leg in ACL-IB (paired t-tests), and between the involved legs in ACL patients and the non-dominant leg in controls (analysis of variance and posthoc Bonferroni tests) using statistical parametric mapping (SPM, P < 0.05). Means and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of differences in discrete parameters (DP; i.e., maximum/minimum) were calculated. RESULTS Significant differences were observed in ACL-IB only in minimum knee flexion angle (DP: 2.4°, CI [-4.4;-0.5]; involved > uninvolved) and maximum knee flexion moment during stance (-0.07Nm/kg, CI [-0.13;-0.00]; involved < uninvolved), and differences between ACL-IB and ACL-R only in maximum knee flexion during swing (DP: 3.6°, CI [0.5;7.0]; ACL-IB > ACL-R). Compared to controls, ACL-IB (SPM: 0-3%GC, P = 0.015; 98-100%, P = 0.016; DP: -6.3 mm, CI [-11.7;-0.8]) and ACL-R (DP: -6.0 mm, CI [-11.4;-0.2]) had lower (maximum) anterior tibia position around heel strike. ACL-R also had lower maximum knee extension moment (DP: -0.13Nm/kg, CI [-0.23;-0.02]) and internal knee rotation moment (SPM: 34-41%GC, P < 0.001; DP: -0.03Nm/kg, CI [-0.06;-0.00]) during stance, and greater maximum semitendinosus activity before heel strike (DP: 11.2%maximum voluntary contraction, CI [0.1;21.3]) than controls. CONCLUSION Our results suggest comparable ambulatory knee function 2 years after ACL-IB and ACL-R, with ACL-IB showing only small differences between legs. However, the differences between both ACL groups and controls suggest that function in the involved leg is not fully recovered and that ACL tear is not only a mechanical disruption but also affects the sensorimotor integrity, which may not be restored after surgery. The trend toward fewer abnormalities in knee moments and semitendinosus muscle function during walking after ACL-IB warrants further investigation and may underscore the importance of preserving the hamstring muscles as ACL agonists. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III, case-control study. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04429165 (12/06/2020).
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Bühl
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, Basel, 4031, Switzerland.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Allschwil, 4123, Switzerland.
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, Basel, 4031, Switzerland.
| | - Sebastian Müller
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, Basel, 4031, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Allschwil, 4123, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, Basel, 4031, Switzerland
| | - Corina Nüesch
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, Basel, 4031, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Allschwil, 4123, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, Basel, 4031, Switzerland
- Department of Spine Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, 4031, Switzerland
| | - Katherine A Boyer
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
- Department of Orthopedics and Physical Rehabilitation, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Erica Casto
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Annegret Mündermann
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, Basel, 4031, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Allschwil, 4123, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, Basel, 4031, Switzerland
- Department of Spine Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, 4031, Switzerland
| | - Christian Egloff
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, Basel, 4031, Switzerland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Basel, Allschwil, 4123, Switzerland
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Basel, Basel, 4031, Switzerland
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Abstract
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are one of the most common knee pathologies sustained during athletic participation and are characterised by long convalescence periods and associated financial burden. Muscles have the ability to increase or decrease the mechanical loads on the ACL, and thus are viable targets for preventative interventions. However, the relationship between muscle forces and ACL loading has been investigated by many different studies, often with differing methods and conclusions. Subsequently, this review aimed to summarise the evidence of the relationship between muscle force and ACL loading. A range of studies were found that investigated muscle and ACL loading during controlled knee flexion, as well as a range of weightbearing tasks such as walking, lunging, sidestep cutting, landing and jumping. The quadriceps and the gastrocnemius were found to increase load on the ACL by inducing anterior shear forces at the tibia, particularly when the knee is extended. The hamstrings and soleus appeared to unload the ACL by generating posterior tibial shear force; however, for the hamstrings, this effect was contingent on the knee being flexed greater than ~ 20° to 30°. The gluteus medius was consistently shown to oppose the knee valgus moment (thus unloading the ACL) to a magnitude greater than any other muscle. Very little evidence was found for other muscle groups with respect to their contribution to the loading or unloading of the ACL. It is recommended that interventions aiming to reduce the risk of ACL injury consider specifically targeting the function of the hamstrings, soleus and gluteus medius.
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