Reduction of risk factors for ACL Re-injuries using an innovative biofeedback approach: A phase I randomized clinical trial.
Alexander T Peebles, Thomas K Miller, Jyoti Savla and 3 others
PMID 35940085WHAT IT FOUND
The biofeedback intervention failed to improve the primary measure of landing symmetry, meaning it did not reduce key risk factors for second ACL injuries.
While one secondary measure of force symmetry improved immediately, this benefit did not last by the 12-week follow-up.
Key findings
01The primary outcome, peak knee extension moment symmetry, showed no significant difference between the biofeedback group and the control group over time.
02A secondary outcome, peak vertical ground reaction force symmetry, improved in the biofeedback group immediately after the intervention compared to controls.
03The improvement in force symmetry was not maintained at the 12-week retention assessment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study had a small sample size and was a phase I trial, limiting the certainty of the findings. There was an unbalanced distribution of graft types between the groups, which may have influenced the results. Four patients in the biofeedback group dropped out, primarily due to travel distance. The control group had three online sessions where compliance was difficult to verify. The intervention used a simple squatting task, which may not transfer effectively to the complex dynamics of landing from a jump.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that because the intervention improved one measure of force symmetry, it successfully reduced the risk of re-injury. The primary outcome failed, and the secondary improvement was not retained at follow-up, so this specific protocol did not achieve its main goal.