Patients Walking Faster After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Have More Gait Asymmetry.
Rachel J Knobel, Naoaki Ito, Elanna K Arhos and 3 others
PMID 33604147WHAT IT FOUND
Athletes who walked faster six months after ACLR had more gait asymmetry.
The opposite knee bore more load, while the reconstructed knee did not, so faster walking alone may not improve symmetry.
Key findings
01At faster walking speeds, the opposite knee showed greater knee moments, angles, and medial contact force.
02At faster walking speeds, the reconstructed knee showed no strong relationship for medial contact force, adduction moment, knee flexion excursion, or knee extension excursion.
03Faster walking was associated with greater asymmetry between limbs for several gait measures.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study did not manipulate walking speed, so it cannot show that faster walking causes more asymmetry. The sample was restricted to level I and II athletes who met strict recovery criteria, so results may not apply to less active patients or those who did not meet these criteria. The correlations were weak to moderate. The study did not include long-term imaging or radiographic osteoarthritis outcomes. The authors state that the interventions discussed are speculative and not clinical practice recommendations.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, plus scholarships. The authors declared no financial disclosures or conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that faster walking caused more asymmetry or that slowing patients will restore symmetry. The study did not manipulate walking speed, and the reconstructed knee did not show a significant speed-related change in medial contact force.