Symmetries in Muscle Torque and Landing Kinematics Are Associated With Maintenance of Sports Participation at 5 to 10 Years After ACL Reconstruction in Young Men.

Background: Long-term maintenance of sports participation is important for young men undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Identifying biomechanical characteristics in patients who achieve this goal can assist in elaborating rehabilitation programs and in identifying successful recovery, but this has rarely been investigated.

Purpose: To test the association between maintenance of sports participation at 5 to 10 years after ACL reconstruction and measures of force production and landing biomechanics in men.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: A total of 30 men who underwent isolated ACL reconstruction were examined. At 5- to 10-year follow-up, associations were tested between reported outcomes of sports maintenance and objective biomechanical measures. The biomechanical tests included isokinetic knee torque and lower limb kinetics and kinematics during landing tasks. Measurements for each limb were conducted separately, and side-to-side symmetry indices (SI) were calculated. Subgroups included SI greater than +10% (ie, extreme positive), SI lower than -10% (ie, extreme negative), and SI between -10% and +10% (ie, symmetric).

Results: At follow-up, concentric knee torque in the operated limb correlated with Tegner and Marx scores ( = 0.42-0.47; ≤ .05). Regarding the SI of knee torque, the highest Tegner, Marx, and KOOS (Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score) results were associated with symmetry, as opposed to patients with extreme positive or extreme negative SIs ( < .05). As for landing kinematics, Tegner score negatively correlated with knee range of motion (ROM) in the operated limb ( = -0.38; ≤ .05). With regard to SI, hip and knee ROM correlated with Tegner, IKDC, and KOOS scores ( = 0.41-0.51; ≤ .05). Specifically, the highest sports participation levels were associated with achieving symmetric hip and knee ROM but also with extreme positive SIs, as opposed to patients with extreme negative SIs ( < .03), indicating substantially higher ROM in the uninjured limb as compared with the operated limb.

Conclusion: At 5 to 10 years after ACL reconstruction, maintenance of sports participation was associated with symmetric side-to-side concentric knee torque and with producing greater attenuation of hip and knee ROM during the drop jump landing in the operated limb. Therefore, eccentric load programs that can improve attenuation-phase kinematics during landing tasks may be valuable in addition to concentric training and may facilitate enhanced long-term outcomes.