Relationships between physical capacities and biomechanical variables during movement tasks in athletic populations following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Abstract

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has a detrimental impact on athletic performance. Despite rehabilitation guidelines and criterion-based progressions to ensure safe restoration of fundamental physical capacities and maladaptive movement strategies, residual deficits in maximal strength, rate of force development (RFD), power and reactive strength are commonly reported. These combined with associated compensatory inter and intra-limb strategies increase the risk of re-injury.

Objective: The aim of this article is to examine the relationships between fundamental physical capacities and biomechanical variables during dynamic movement tasks.

Design: Narrative review.

Results: The available data suggests that quadriceps strength and rate of torque development, explain a moderate portion of the variance in aberrant kinetic and kinematic strategies commonly detected in ACL reconstructed cohorts in the later stages of rehabilitation and RTS CONCLUSION: The available data suggests that quadriceps strength and rate of torque development, explain a moderate portion of the variance in aberrant kinetic and kinematic strategies commonly detected in ACL reconstructed cohorts in the later stages of rehabilitation and RTS.