Functional evaluation of patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury. A transversal analytical study

Abstract Objective To evaluate, by means of biomechanical analysis, functional alterations of gait and balance of patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Material and methods Transversal analytical study on 64 people, 27 health subjects and 37 patients with ACL injury. Biomechanical analysis of gait in all individuals was performed by means of four tests: (1) kinematic test, to characterize gait pattern; (2) kinetic test, to characterize forces against the floor, duration of treads, symmetry of both legs, and the reproducibility of the gait; (3) pivot-shift test, to analyze the rotational stability of the knee on the sagittal axis; and (4) equilibrium test. Results Alterations in kinematic and kinetic analysis were found in both the injured knee and the healthy knee compared to the control group. In the pivot-shift gait test there is a tendency to increase the forces on the three axes, both in the support leg and in the exit leg in patients with ACL injury, in comparison with healthy subjects. Conclusion ACL injury-induced changes in gait pattern, changes in forces against the floor, duration of treads, symmetry of both legs, and the reproducibility of gait and changes in rotational stability of the knee on the sagittal axis.