Majallah-i Dānishgāh-i ’Ulūm-i Pizishkī-i Īlām (Aug 2024)
A comparison of plantar pressure variables and muscular frequency content between individuals with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and pronated feet and healthy controls
Abstract
Introduction: Asymmetrical gait mechanics after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are associated with the development of post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis. Current measures of gait mechanics have focused on peak magnitudes of knee kinematics, kinetics, and joint contact forces; nonetheless, they have seldom considered the plantar pressure and muscular frequency content in individuals with ACLR and pronate feet (PF). The present study aimed to compare ACLR and PF with healthy controls during walking. Material & Methods: The present study was conducted based on a quasi-experimental and laboratory design. The sample of this study comprised 13 people with ACLR and PF and 13 subjects from the healthy group. The mean age scores of patients in the two groups of healthy and sick participants were 22.9±4.1 and 23.2±4.5 years, respectively. During the test, subjects walked barefoot on an 18-m runway. Peak plantar pressure variables in both groups were recorded by a foot scan system (sampling rate: 300 Hz). The electromyography activity of the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius medialis, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, rectus femoris, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and gluteus medius were recorded during walking. Results: The results demonstrated that the peak midfoot region plantar pressure values (P=0.018) were higher in the ACLR/PF group than in the healthy group during walking. In addition, the results highlighted a significant difference in the muscle frequency content of the rectus femoris (P=0.012, d=0.68) and vastus latelarlis (P=0.042) during the loading response and push-off phase in the ACLR/PF group compared to the healthy group during walking. Discussion & Conclusion: Peak plantar pressure values at the midfoot region and rectus femoris and vastus lateralis muscular frequency content in the ACLR/PF group differed from that of the healthy group during walking.
