Effects of Immobilization and Re-Mobilization on Knee Joint Arthrokinematic Motion Quality

Abstract

Background: Knee immobilization is a common intervention for patients with traumatic injuries. However, it usually leads to biomechanical/morphological disturbances of articular tissues. These changes may contribute to declining kinetic friction-related quality of arthrokinematics; however, this phenomenon has not been analyzed in vivo and remains unrecognized. Thus, the aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of immobilization and subsequent re-mobilization on the quality of arthrokinematics within the patellofemoral joint, analyzed by vibroarthrography (VAG). Methods: Thirty-four patients after 6-weeks of knee immobilization and 37 controls were analyzed. The (VAG) signals were collected during knee flexion/extension using an accelerometer. Patients were tested on the first and last day of the 2-week rehabilitation program. Results: Immobilized knees were characterized by significantly higher values of all VAG parameters when compared to controls (p < 0.001) on the first day. After 2 weeks, the participants in the rehabilitation program that had immobilized knees showed significant improvement in all measurements compared to the baseline condition, p < 0.05. However, patients did not return to normal VAG parameters compared to controls. Conclusion: Immobilization-related changes within the knee cause impairments of arthrokinematic function reflected in VAG signal patterns. The alterations in joint motion after 6 weeks of immobilization may be partially reversible; however, the 2-week physiotherapy program is not sufficient for full recovery.

Acute effects of a single bout of exercise therapy on knee acoustic emissions in patients with osteoarthritis: a double-blinded, randomized controlled crossover trial

“…Considering long-term-effects, one recent research has investigated the impact of an intermediate term, 2-week rehabilitation program on immobilization-related deterioration of the knee analyzed by vibroarthrography. The authors detected lower values of all measured sound parameters after the intervention (including amplitude and spectral power) [ 22 ]. Immobilized knees, when analyzed before rehabilitation, generated signals characterized by significantly higher values of VAG parameters (variability of the VAG signal, signal amplitude, frequency characteristics) in comparison to a control group.…”

“…Immobilized knees, when analyzed before rehabilitation, generated signals characterized by significantly higher values of VAG parameters (variability of the VAG signal, signal amplitude, frequency characteristics) in comparison to a control group. After the rehabilitation program, the participants with immobilized knees showed significant improvement in all VAG parameters compared to the baseline condition [ 22 ]. These findings are somewhat comparable to our results regarding the amplitude, but are in contrast to our frequency findings (which were generally increased by exercise compared to control in our sample).…”

“…However, the authors had measured knee acoustic emissions only at the patellofemoral joint and, moreover, they had examined the spectral power at two distinct frequency bands while we had examined the MPF in a bandpass filtered data set between 50 and 1000 Hz. Compared with the investigation by Bączkowicz et al [ 22 ], our participants performed just one bout of exercise training which may affect the lubrication and the arthrokinematic rather than obtaining long-term exercise effects such as muscle strengthening.…”

Age-Related Differences in Intermuscular Coherence EMG-EMG of Ankle Joint Antagonist Muscle Activity during Maximal Leaning

“…For real-valued time series, the wavelet coherence is real-valued if you use a real-valued analyzing wavelet, and complex-valued if you use a complex-valued analyzing wavelet [ 37 , 38 ].…”

Using Nonlinear Vibroartrographic Parameters for Age-Related Changes Assessment in Knee Arthrokinematics

“…The quantitative assessments include, among others, the use of the electro-goniometer or arthrometer, but these have some limitations, as the evaluation focuses mainly on palpation in order to check the motion smoothness with regard to the crepitus presence or absence. Such assessment is frequently imprecise [ 25 , 28 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”