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Original Research
The impact of anterior cruciate ligament deficiency and reconstruction on bilateral thigh muscle activity during stair descent
South African Journal of Physiotherapy | Vol 57, No 2 | a500 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v57i2.500
| © 2018 A. St Clair Gibson, M. L. Lambert, C. L. Vaughan, M. Lowery, M. J. O'malley, T. D. Noakes
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 30 August 2018 | Published: 31 May 2001
Submitted: 30 August 2018 | Published: 31 May 2001
About the author(s)
A. St Clair Gibson, MRC/UCT Bioenergetics of Exercise Research Unit, Department of Physiology, University of Cape Town, South AfricaM. I. Lambert, MRC/UCT Bioenergetics of Exercise Research Unit, Department of Physiology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
C. L. Vaughan, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cape Town, South Africa
M. Lowery, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University College Dublin, Isle of Man
M. J. O'Malley, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University College Dublin, Ireland
T. D. Noakes, MRC/UCT Bioenergetics of Exercise Research Unit, Department of Physiology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Full Text:
PDF (274KB)Abstract
Aim: To assess electromyographic (EMG) gait pattern changes during stair descent in subjects with chronic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency, and in subjects after ACL reconstruction.
Methods: Thirteen ACL deficient subjects (ACLdef), 8 ACL reconstructed subjects (ACLrec), and 10 controls (CON) participated in the study. All subjects were assessed for functional and lean thigh volume (LTV) differences in the injured and uninjured limb. All subjects then stepped off a bench with EMG electrodes on the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and hamstrings muscles of both limbs.
Results: Step down activity caused similar EMG responses in the injured and supporting limb in the ACLdef group compared to that in the control group. In contrast, in the ACLrec group, the onset of EMG activity occurred earlier during the step down activity in the vastus medialis and vastus lateralis of the supporting limb. There was significantly greater EMG activity in the vastus lateralis and hamstring muscles of the supporting limb (p < 0.05) in the ACLrec group compared to ACLdef and control groups. The changes in EMG activity did not appear to be related to differences in LTV, since greater LTV deficits were present in the ACLdef compared to the ACLrec group (p < 0.01).
Conclusions: In ACL reconstructed subjects, changes in muscle recruitment patterns in the supporting limb during step down activity have been identified. This altered activity pattern was not present in the supporting limb of ACL deficient subjects
Methods: Thirteen ACL deficient subjects (ACLdef), 8 ACL reconstructed subjects (ACLrec), and 10 controls (CON) participated in the study. All subjects were assessed for functional and lean thigh volume (LTV) differences in the injured and uninjured limb. All subjects then stepped off a bench with EMG electrodes on the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and hamstrings muscles of both limbs.
Results: Step down activity caused similar EMG responses in the injured and supporting limb in the ACLdef group compared to that in the control group. In contrast, in the ACLrec group, the onset of EMG activity occurred earlier during the step down activity in the vastus medialis and vastus lateralis of the supporting limb. There was significantly greater EMG activity in the vastus lateralis and hamstring muscles of the supporting limb (p < 0.05) in the ACLrec group compared to ACLdef and control groups. The changes in EMG activity did not appear to be related to differences in LTV, since greater LTV deficits were present in the ACLdef compared to the ACLrec group (p < 0.01).
Conclusions: In ACL reconstructed subjects, changes in muscle recruitment patterns in the supporting limb during step down activity have been identified. This altered activity pattern was not present in the supporting limb of ACL deficient subjects
Keywords
gait pattern activity; step down; EMG
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