Alteration of knee joint moment after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction conditions in subjects with and without meniscal pathology

Kohei Nishizawa; Kengo Harato; Shu Kobayashi; Yasuo Niki; Takeo Nagura

doi:10.1016/j.knee.2024.02.008

Alteration of knee joint moment after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction conditions in subjects with and without meniscal pathology

Knee. 2024 Mar 11:48:8-13. doi: 10.1016/j.knee.2024.02.008. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Kohei Nishizawa¹, Kengo Harato², Shu Kobayashi¹, Yasuo Niki¹, Takeo Nagura³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.
² Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: harato@keio.jp.
³ Department of Clinical Biomechanics, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.

PMID: 38471193
DOI: 10.1016/j.knee.2024.02.008

Abstract

Background: The effects of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction on postoperative gait biomechanics remain controversial, and the influence of meniscus pathology on pre- and post-ACL reconstruction biomechanical changes has not yet been studied. Here, we aimed to clarify the difference in knee joint moment between pre- and post-ACL reconstruction conditions in subjects with and without meniscal pathology.

Methods: Twenty-four subjects with unilateral ACL reconstruction injuries participated in this study. A total of 13 of the subjects had concomitant meniscus injuries. Gait analysis was performed preoperatively and at 11 months postoperatively. Three-dimensional knee joint angles and moments were calculated based on motion-capture data. The total joint moment and contribution of individual moments during the stance phase were assessed. For statistical analysis, we compared pre- and postoperative alterations, and differences were assessed in subjects with and without meniscal pathology.

Results: Tibial rotation excursion was lower in subjects with meniscal pathology than in those with intact menisci postoperatively. An significant increase in the contribution of the knee flexion moment and a significant decrease in the contribution of the knee adduction moment postoperatively were observed in subjects with intact menisci.

Conclusions: Patients with ACL injury showed different postoperative alterations in joint moments depending on the concomitant meniscal injury.

Keywords: Anterior cruciate ligament injury; Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction; Gait; Joint moment; Meniscal pathology.