Background

Individuals following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction demonstrate quadriceps weakness throughout the post-operative recovery and at the time of returning to sport. This is often accompanied with patterns of quadriceps fatigue resistance. As such, fatigue may be an identifier of individuals with delayed recovery. The purpose was to assess quadriceps fatigue in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed patients at the time of return to sport in comparison to healthy controls.

Methods

A total of 215 individuals, 120 following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (21.0 (2.9) years, 63 Female, 5.96 (0.48) months post-surgery) and 95 healthy controls (21.5 (8.4) years, 49 Female), participated in this study. All participants completed a 30-s knee extensor maximum voluntary isometric contraction. Knee extensor strength, limb symmetry index, and fatigue (%) were compared between groups. Between-limb fatigue comparisons were made through the Fatigue Index Limb Difference = [(Involved Limb Fatigue Index) – (Uninvolved Limb Fatigue Index)].

Findings

Individuals following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (18.7 (10.9)%, −5.6 (11.2)) demonstrated lower values of unilateral fatigue and Fatigue Index Limb Difference compared to healthy participants (22.5 (8.2)%, P = .002; 2.2 (7.9), P < .001). For anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed patients, there was a weak, negative, significant relationship between the involved limb strength and fatigue (r = −0.184, P = .048). There was no relationship between limb symmetry and Fatigue Index Limb Difference (r = 0.137, P = .142). For Healthy individuals, there was a positive, moderate relationship between limb symmetry and Fatigue Index Limb Difference (r = 0.400, P < .001).

Interpretation

Individuals following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction demonstrate fatigue resistance compared to healthy active controls and greater resistance to fatigue in their involved limb compared to their contralateral limb.

中文翻译：

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ISB临床生物力学奖获得者2019：前十字韧带重建后个体的膝伸肌疲劳抵抗力

背景

进行前交叉韧带重建的患者在整个术后恢复过程中和恢复运动时表现出股四头肌无力。这通常伴有股四头肌抗疲劳性。因此，疲劳可能是恢复迟缓的个体的识别符。目的是评估与健康对照相比，恢复运动时前十字韧带重建患者的股四头肌疲劳。

方法

共有215名患者，120名前交叉韧带重建患者（21.0（2.9）岁，63名女性，5.96（0.48）个月手术后）和95名健康对照组（21.5（8.4）岁，49名女性）参加了这项研究。 。所有参与者均完成了30秒的膝关节伸肌最大自愿等距收缩。比较两组之间的伸膝肌力量，四肢对称指数和疲劳度（％）。通过疲劳指数肢体差= [（涉及的肢体疲劳指数）–（不涉及的肢体疲劳指数）]进行肢体间疲劳比较。

发现

与健康参与者相比，进行前交叉韧带重建的个体（18.7（10.9）％，-5.6（11.2））表现出较低的单侧疲劳和疲劳指数肢体差值（22.5（8.2）％，P  = 0.002； 2.2（7.9）） ，P  <.001）。对于前交叉韧带重建患者，患肢力量与疲劳之间存在弱，消极，显着的关系（r  = −0.184，P  = .048）。肢体对称性与疲劳指数下肢差异之间没有关系（r  = 0.137，P  = .142）。对于健康个体，肢体对称性与疲劳指数肢体差异之间存在正，中度的正相关（r = 0.400，P  <.001）。

解释

与健康的主动对照组相比，进行前交叉韧带重建的个体表现出抗疲劳性，与对侧肢体相比，其受累肢体对疲劳的抵抗力更大。