Affiliations: [a] University of Salford, Manchester, UK | [b] Private Practitioner, Manchester, UK | [c] Sheffield Centre for Sports Medicine, Sheffield,
UK
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Lee Herrington MSc MCSP SRP,
Lecturer in Sports Rehabilitation, Directorate of Sport, School of Healthcare
Professionals, University of Salford, Allerton Annexe, Frederick Road, Salford,
Greater Manchester, M6 6PU, UK. Tel.: +44 161 295 2326; Fax: +44 161 295 2395;
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Changes in the isokinetic moment curve of the knee flexors have been
proposed to be associated with functional instability in anterior cruciate
ligament deficient (ACLD) patients. The purpose of this study was to assess if
this relationship exists between breaks in the knee flexor moment curve and
functional instability in an ACLD patient population. The study involved two groups: an asymptomatic control group
(n=20) and a second experimental group
(n=20) diagnosed as having an anterior cruciate ligament
rupture. Both groups underwent isokinetic strength assessment of the knee
flexors, with the moment curves being inspected for irregularities or breaks.
All subjects also completed Lysholm and Tegner questionnaires and had a
standardized assessment using the International Knee Documentation Committee
(IKDC) form. The findings of the questionnaires were then correlated with
presence of breaks in the torque curve to assess association between these
factors. Breaks in the knee flexor moment curve were established to occur in
some patients with ACL deficiency; these patients also had lower scores on a
variety of functional indices. Further investigation would appear to be
warranted on a larger population to establish if the presence of break
phenomena in knee flexor torque curves can be used to identify those patients
who can and cannot cope with ACL deficiency.
