ABSTRACT
Purpose: The present study aimed to determine the effect of dual-tasking on spatiotemporal characteristics in subjects with and without Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficiency [ACLD] using linear dynamics
Methods: In this mixed model design study, spatiotemporal parameters were measured in 22 patients with ACLD [25.95 +/- 4.69 y] and 22 control subjects [24.32 +/- 3.37 y] while they were walking with different levels of gait velocity [high velocity, self-selected velocity, low velocity] in isolation or concurrently with auditory Stroop task. Coefficient of Variation [CV] was used to calculate variability of step length, step time and step width as dependent variables using custommade MATLAB code. Mixed model of analysis of variance and post hoc analyses were used for data analysis
Results: The results showed that interactions of group by gait velocity due to cognitive difficulty were not significant for all mentioned variables [P>0.05]. Group Interactions due to cognitive task difficulty were significant only in CV of step width [P=0.05]. Interactions of motor task difficulty by cognitive difficulty were significant for CV of step length, step time, and step width in all participants [P<0.05]. The main effects of gait velocity in all dependent variables were significant [P<0.05]
Conclusion: Results showed that step width variability is a more sensitive measure for detecting interaction of group due to cognitive task difficulty compared to variability of step length and step time. Future studies could test this hypothesis in ACL deficient subjects using different measures
ABSTRACT
The aim of the present study was to compare the performance of the vertical jump task and the level of disability between the coper and non-coper athletes with an anterior cruciate ligament-minus knee. Thirty-four professional male athletes with isolated complete anterior cruciate ligament -tear [age 20-29 years and 6-12 months time past injury] were recruited in this study. The subjects were allocated into the coper [n=17] and non-coper [n=17] groups according to their history of having giving way and feeling an instability in their injured knee. The maximum vertical jump height was recorded by a 6-camera Vicon motion analysis system. The functional outcomes of the subjects were assessed with use of the Persian versions of the International Knee Documentation Committee, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and Tegner Questionnaires. The results revealed that the coper ACK-deficient knee subjects had a significantly higher International Knee Documentation Committee score as well as two subscales of the KOOS questionnaire including the sports [p=0.001] and the quality of life [p=0.016] than non-copers. However, the subscales of pain [p=0.0137], symptoms [p=0.353] and the activities of daily living [p=0.133] of the KOOS questionnaire did not show any significant differences between the coper and non-coper ACL-deficient knee subjects. In addition, the maximum jumping height was significantly higher in the copers too [p=0.008]. While the pain, symptoms and daily activities were not different between the two groups, a higher level of the functional abilities, sports activities, quality of life and the maximum jumping height were shown in the coper ACL-deficient knee subjects when compared to the non-copers. A deliberate evaluation of the functional abilities in ACL-deficient knee subjects might play a key role in distinguishing the coper and non-coper ACL-deficient knee subjects