Knee joint mechanics during gait after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using a partial or full thickness quadriceps tendon autograft at 2 years after surgery.
Zachary Ripic, Michael Letter, Rosalia Parrino and 6 others
PMID 39548878WHAT IT FOUND
Operated and unoperated knees walked similarly at least 1 year after quadriceps tendon ACL reconstruction, but both groups made less knee straightening force during early stance than controls.
Key findings
01At least 1 year after surgery, operated and unoperated limbs did not differ in knee gait mechanics.
02Both full-thickness and partial-thickness quadriceps tendon ACLR groups had smaller internal knee extension moments during loading response than controls.
03Full-thickness grafts had smaller peak knee flexion during loading response than controls; full-thickness versus partial-thickness was not significant (p = .08).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample was small, with 16 quadriceps tendon ACLR patients and 11 controls. Only 5 women were included. Participants were tested at least 1 year after surgery, but specific timepoints were not examined. Physical activity between rehabilitation and testing was not controlled. The study did not compare quadriceps tendon grafts with other graft options.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that quadriceps tendon ACL reconstruction has restored normal knee mechanics. The study found no difference between operated and unoperated limbs, but both graft groups had lower internal knee extension moments during loading response than controls.