Clinical biomechanics
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Clinical biomechanics · Feb 2011
Alterations in joint kinematics during walking following hamstring and patellar tendon anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery.
Previous research has shown that patients with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction have altered movement patterns in the reconstructed knee during walking. In the sagittal plane, graft specific changes in knee joint motion have been reported between hamstring and patellar tendon anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction grafts. This study examined the secondary planes of movement during walking in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed knees to evaluate the influences of graft type (hamstring or patellar tendon) and control condition (control group or contralateral knee). ⋯ The results show that there are differences in tibial rotation during walking in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed knees compared to both the contralateral knee and uninjured control group. These kinematic alterations may relate to the high incidence of knee osteoarthritis observed in this population over time. Reduced varus in the hamstring group may relate to the graft harvest.