Changes in the Trend of Walking Motor Control in Athletes with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficiency in Response to Progressive Perturbation Trainings

Abstract

Background and Purpose: The beliefs are that sudden and unpredictable balance disturbance by instruments that cause mechanical perturbations can affect individuals with Anterior Cruciate Ligament Deficiency (ACLD) to reach faster and more effective recovery of knee dynamic stabilization strategies to return successfully pre-injury levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of mechanical perturbation training and standard training in the process of changes in motor control during walking task in coper ACLD individuals. Methods: Thirty athletes with a unilateral rupture of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), classified as coper, were randomly assigned to perturbation and standard training groups. Intervention training results based on comparison of scores obtained from functional tests in 4 single-leg jump tests, scores of questioners, and surface Electromyography (sEMG) tests were determined between the two groups as well as between the two healthy and ACLD limbs in each group in the walking task. Results: The perturbation training group showed a significant increase in muscle activity in both healthy and ACLD limbs with an increase in similarity index (SI) (p=0.08, ES=0.81), while in the standard training group the results were not significant (p=0.39, ES=0.39). Conclusion: Individuals in the perturbation training group achieved higher scores on all tests compared to the standard training group. This means that the perturbation training group was more mentally and physically prepared in terms of strength, coordination and symmetry between the two limbs to participate in pre-injury sports levels.