Eccentric knee flexor weakness in elite female footballers 1-10 years following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Matthew N Bourne; Andrea M Bruder; Benjamin F Mentiplay; David L Carey; Brooke E Patterson; Kay M Crossley

doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2019.03.010

Eccentric knee flexor weakness in elite female footballers 1-10 years following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Phys Ther Sport. 2019 May:37:144-149. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2019.03.010. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

Authors

Matthew N Bourne¹, Andrea M Bruder², Benjamin F Mentiplay³, David L Carey³, Brooke E Patterson³, Kay M Crossley³

Affiliations

¹ School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia; La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: m.bourne@griffith.edu.au.
² La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
³ La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

PMID: 30959444
DOI: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2019.03.010

Abstract

Objectives: To determine eccentric knee flexor strength in elite female Australian Rules Football (ARF) players with and without a history of unilateral anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using an ipsilateral semitendinosus graft.

Design: Case-control.

Setting: Elite ARF Women's competition.

Participants: Eighty-four elite female ARF players (mean age, 25 ± 4.9 years; height, 1.71 ± 0.73 m; weight, 67 kg ± 7.4 kg) with (n = 12) and without (n = 72) a history of unilateral ACLR in the previous 10 years.

Main outcome measures: Peak eccentric knee flexor force during the Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE).

Results: Players with a history of unilateral ACLR displayed lower levels of eccentric knee flexor strength in their surgically reconstructed limb than their uninjured contralateral limb (mean difference -53.77 N, 95% CI = -85.06 to -24.27, d = -0.51) and compared to the limbs of players with no history of injury (mean difference = -46.32 N, 95% CI = -86.65 to -11.13, d = -0.73).

Conclusion: Elite female ARF players with a history of unilateral ACLR display deficits in eccentric knee flexor strength in their surgically reconstructed limb for up to 10 years following surgery.

Keywords: ACL; Hamstring; Injury prevention; Nordic hamstring exercise; Rehabilitation.

MeSH terms

Adult
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction*
Athletes*
Case-Control Studies
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Knee Joint / physiopathology*
Muscle Strength / physiology*
Soccer / physiology*
Tendons / transplantation