243 – 243 - Statistics in Sports and Beyond
Repeated Measures Investigation of the Change in Between-Limb Gait Asymmetries for Post-ACLR Subjects in an Asymmetric Walking Rehabilitation Protocol
Carolyn Morgan
Meck Limited, LLC
Over 250,000 anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur annually. Despite ACL reconstruction (ACLR) and rehabilitation, between-limb gait differences can persist in post-ACLR individuals. Gait differences lead to altered limb loading rates which contributes to detrimental knee loading and the initiation of post traumatic knee osteoarthritis. Rehabilitation efforts and return-to-sport criteria are often directed at restoring between-limb symmetry. While this is challenging, stroke research offers a promising approach that utilizes asymmetric walking. Asymmetric walking functions to correct adverse between-limb gait differences and occurs when an individual is made to intentionally walk with each limb moving at a different speed. Repeated measures analysis was used to assess the effect of asymmetric walking in restoring between-limb loading rate symmetry using the loading rate gait changes in the injured and non-injured limbs. The hypothesis that post-ACLR individuals adopted symmetric between-limb loading rates in response to the asymmetric walking protocol was supported. An initial higher average loading rate was predicted for the injured limb with a decrease over time.