A Biomechanical Analysis of Different Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgical Techniques

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are one the most prevalent activity-related injuries among young athletes in the United States. ACL surgeries are typically done using patellar tendon graft and hamstring tendon graft. The goal of the study was to compare the aforementioned ACL surgery techniques. In addition to this, a secondary goal was to provide physical therapists and patients with real-time feedback about the progress of the recovery over time when performing a common physical therapy exercise regimen. Each subject visited the lab six times for twelve weeks and was asked to perform chair squats, three sit-to-stand exercises, and walk on a treadmill each time. The results of this pilot study demonstrate that the surgical techniques can be evaluated using a dynamic multi-system approach. Between the systems there are a total of 21 variables, 9 from the motion capture system, 6 from the electromyography (EMG) sensors, and 6 from the force platform. The significant parameters included knee flexion, maximum muscle activity from the muscles around the knee, and maximum forces and moments on the body. The study was inconclusive based on the comparison between the surgical techniques. ACL injuries have become a commonplace in sports thus making it imperative to develop effective physical therapy techniques that enable athletes to regain the strength necessary to compete. With this research, we can conclude that real-time feedback may be a useful approach for ACL rehabilitation, and in determining which surgical approach may be most ideal for recovering patients