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Associations of isokinetic knee steadiness with hop performance in patients with ACL deficiency

  • Knee
  • Published:
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Purpose

Contrary to the ample data available regarding the functional significance of isokinetic knee strength in patients with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency (ACLD), much less is known about the functional significance of isokinetic knee steadiness. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate, in patients with ACLD, the independent impact of isokinetic quadriceps and hamstrings torque steadiness on single-leg hop performance.

Methods

Eighty-seven patients with unilateral ACLD participated. Patients performed isokinetic quadriceps and hamstrings steadiness and strength testing at 60°/s on an isokinetic dynamometer. Muscle steadiness and strength were represented by the wavelet-derived mean instantaneous frequency and peak value of the torque–time curves, respectively. To measure hop performance, patients performed a single-leg hop for distance and a 6-m single-leg hop for velocity.

Results

One of two patients [n = 45 (51 %)] had a 10 % or greater difference in knee torque frequency levels between the ACLD and contralateral knees. In multivariable models adjusted for age, sex, knee pain, and knee strength, hamstrings steadiness was significantly related with hop velocity whilst quadriceps steadiness was significantly related with both hop distance and velocity. Variance decomposition analyses suggested that quadriceps steadiness was similar in importance to hamstrings strength on hop distance and velocity.

Conclusions

In patients with ACLD, isokinetic knee steadiness deficits were common and were independently associated with single-leg hop performance. Knee torque steadiness—a heretofore understudied variable—may prove a useful adjunct to conventional peak torque measurements by offering additional information to researchers and rehabilitation professionals about muscle performance and neuromuscular knee control.

Level of evidence

Prognostic studies, Level III.

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Acknowledgments

This project is grant funded by Singhealth Foundation start-up grant (SHF/FG476S/2010). We thank Tan Bee Yee, the head of the Department of Physiotherapy, Singapore General Hospital, for supporting this study; John Tan Wei-Ming for his assistance; Luke Perraton for his advice; and the orthopaedic surgeons from the Singapore General Hospital for allowing us access to their patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiotherapy, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, Singapore, 169608, Singapore

    Yong-Hao Pua, Peck-Hoon Ong & Jia-Ying Ho

  2. Department of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    Adam L. Bryant

  3. School of Health Sciences Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

    Kate E Webster

  4. School of Exercise Science, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia

    Ross A. Clark

Authors
  1. Yong-Hao Pua
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  2. Peck-Hoon Ong
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  3. Jia-Ying Ho
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  4. Adam L. Bryant
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  5. Kate E Webster
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  6. Ross A. Clark
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Correspondence to Yong-Hao Pua.

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Pua, YH., Ong, PH., Ho, JY. et al. Associations of isokinetic knee steadiness with hop performance in patients with ACL deficiency. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 23, 2185–2195 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-014-2995-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-014-2995-4

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