Quadriceps strength, patellar tendon quality, relative load exposure, and knee symptoms in male athletes before the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences

Rehabilitation Sciences

Sean McAuliffe¹  Taija Finni²  Dustin Maree³  Abdulaziz Farooq³  Jasenko Klauznicer³  Rod Whiteley³  Carla S. Pereira⁴ 

[1] Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar;Neuromuscular Research Center, Biology of Physical, Activity, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland;Rehabilitation Department, , ASPETAR, Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Doha, Qatar;Rehabilitation Department, , ASPETAR, Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Doha, Qatar;Neuromuscular Research Center, Biology of Physical, Activity, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland;

关键词: ACL;    knee;    quadriceps;    isokinetic;    ultrasound tissue characterization;    patellar tendon;    relative load;    tendon quality;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fresc.2023.1283635

 received in 2023-08-26, accepted in 2023-10-02,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionAnterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries cause knee instability, knee pain, weight-bearing adjustments, and functional deficits but their association to patellar tendon quality is unknown. Our purpose was to investigate quadriceps strength, patellar tendon quality, relative load exposure, perceived knee stability, knee pain, extension angle, and time from ACL injury; in addition to examining their relative associations.MethodsInjured and uninjured legs of 81 male athletes of different sports with a unilateral ACL injury (18–45 years) were examined. Participants reported location and intensity of knee pain and their perceived stability using a numerical rating scale (NRS 0–10). Strength was tested with an isokinetic device. Tendon quality was measured using ultrasound tissue characterization. Means ± standard deviation (SD) of perceived knee stability, knee extension angle, knee pain, isokinetic quadriceps strength in relation to body mass, proportion of echo-types (I–IV), tendon volume, and number of days from ACL injury to assessment are reported. Values of effect sizes (ES) and correlations (rs) were calculated.ResultsACL injured leg demonstrated reduced reported knee stability (6.3 ± 2.5), decreased knee extension angle (−0.7 ± 3.1° vs. −2.7 ± 2.2°; ES = 0.7; P < 0.001), greater knee pain (NRS 3.1 ± 2.2 vs. 0.0 ± 0.1; ES = 2.0; P < 0.001), and 22% lower quadriceps strength (228.0 ± 65.0 vs. 291.2 ± 52.9 Nm/kg: ES = 1.2; P < 0.001) as compared to the uninjured leg. However, patellar tendons in both legs displayed similar quality. Quadriceps strength was associated with stability (rs = −0.54; P < 0.001), pain (rs = −0.47; P < 0.001), extension angle (rs = −0.39; P < 0.001), and relative load exposure (rs = −0.34; P < 0.004). Echo-types distribution was beneficially associated with time from ACL injury (rs range: −0.20/ −0.32; P < 0.05).DiscussionACL injured athletes displayed knee pain, extension deficit, and weaker quadriceps in the injured leg. While there were no differences in patellar tendon quality between legs, longer time from ACL injury showed better tendon quality.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
© 2023 Pereira, Klauznicer, Maree, McAuliffe, Farooq, Whiteley and Finni.